Flashes Escape Meserve Field with a Pair of One-Run Wins

Saturday, April 28

Bowling Green, OH

1:00 PM ET

Bowling Green State University

25-22, 7-11

Kent State

25-19, 11-8

Kent State

Bowling Green

Laine Simmons rounds third after her game-one home run on Saturday

Photo by: Larry Clapper

April 28, 2018 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Falcons outhit KSU, 17-13, in Saturday setbacks

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team suffered a pair of setbacks by the narrowest of margins on Saturday afternoon (April 28). Kent State University escaped Meserve Field after squeaking past the Falcons by scores of 4-3 and 2-1.

BGSU had 17 hits, including three extra-base knocks, on the day, while the Golden Flashes had two extra-base hits among 13 total hits. But, the visitors were able to take an early lead in each game.

LINKS
BGSU-KSU STATISTICS: GAME 1 | GAME 2

The Falcons rallied from three runs down to tie the opener, before the Flashes pushed an unearned run across the plate in the seventh inning. In the nightcap, multiple factors seemed to conspire to deny the Falcons the tying run in the latter innings.

Senior Laine Simmons homered in the first game and doubled in the second for the Falcons. Both Simmons and junior Kali Holcomb had two hits in each game, while junior Kellie Natham drove in a run in each contest.

QUOTING COACH WILLIS
"I couldn't be more proud of the team that showed up today. That is the team that I know, that is the team that I coach, that is the team I am familiar with. The BG team I know plays with passion, plays with heart and plays the game hard."

"I love the fight and the heart that our team showed today. We are obviously disappointed in the outcome today, especially since we were so close and had multiple opportunities. Some calls go your way, and some calls do not. Those things are what we call uncontrollables, and we just need to continue to put ourselves in position to be successful, and more opportunities will happen for us."

"These are definitely a couple of tough losses, but I couldn't be more proud of the way we played today."

BGSU-KSU GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED

In each of Saturday's games, Kent State scored in the top of the first inning. But, in both games, KSU did not score another earned run the rest of the way.
The opener saw Emily Dobbin and Holly Speers draw back-to-back walks with one out, and both runners scored on a double to center field off the bat of Bailey Brownfield.
Brenna Brownfield's single up the middle moved her sister to third, and Bailey Brownfield would tag and score the Flashes' third run on a sacrifice fly.
The Falcons would get at least one runner on base via hit or walk in six of the seven innings against KSU pitcher Madi Huck. Freshman Sammy Dees walked in the first, before Huck retired the next two hitters.
Senior Laine Simmons, who had a stellar day at the plate, led off the BG second with a single down the left-field line, and junior Kaylee Parker fouled off four pitches before roping the eighth pitch of her at-bat over leaping KSU centerfielder Maria Cegledy for a double. Parker's hit sent pinch-runner Payton Hamm to third base, and the freshman scored on a single up the middle by junior Kellie Natham.
The Falcons turned three double plays in Saturday's opener, with the first coming in the third inning. After Speers singled up the middle, Bailey Brownfield's tailor-made double-play ball erased pinch-runner Sydney Anderson. KSU responded from the 6-4-3 DP with a Brenna Brownfield base on balls and a Cegledy single, but a fielder's choice got BG starter Brooke Parker and the Falcons out of the inning.
Junior Kali Holcomb, who like Simmons had four hits in Saturday's twinbill, lined a ball up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the third. Then, Simmons turned on a Huck pitch and blasted a two-run homer to left, tying the score at 3-3.
KSU's Kaitlyn Miller singled with one down in the fourth, but shortstop Aspen Searle then grabbed a line drive and fired to first to double Miller off the bag and end the inning.
Sophomore Taylor Blevins lined a ball through the legs of the KSU third baseman in the BG fourth, but she was stranded there.
The Flashes threatened in the fifth when Dobbin led off with a single and Speers followed by a walk. A fielder's choice at second base produced the first out, but put runners at the corners. But, Parker struck out Bailey Brownfield, then got Cegledy to hit a grounder to Searle for another fielder's choice.
In the bottom of the inning, Searle's blooper dropped in the Bermuda Triangle between three converging KSU fielders in shallow right-center field, and Holcomb laced a ball to right, with Searle taking third on the play. Holcomb stole second, but a fly ball to shallow right was followed by an inning-ending strikeout.
A 4-6-3 Falcon double play cancelled out a leadoff single in the sixth, and Parker struck out the next batter for out number three.
BG went in order in the bottom of the sixth, but not before Natham crushed a ball to left field that had home-run distance, but curved foul.
In the seventh, freshman Sarah Gonzalez made impressive back-to-back plays at third base, charging to field a slow roller and whipping a throw to first, then making a nifty pick of a hard-hit ball and throwing to Kaylee Parker in plenty of time for out number two.
But, a walk to Speers was followed by an infield error on a grounder by Bailey Brownfield. Then, Brenna Brownfield's seeing-eye single found a hole on the left side, and Speers scored on the play. The unearned run proved to be the game-winning tally.
The runners each moved up on the throw home, but with Flashes at second and third, Parker got Cegledy to hit a soft liner to Searle for the third out.
In the BG half of the seventh, Huck got a grounder and a strikeout to move within one out of victory, but Searle drew a walk after an eight-pitch at-bat. Holcomb followed with a frozen rope, but unfortunately for the Falcons, the ball was hit directly at Cegledy. The KSU centerfielder took several steps back before gratefully grabbing the ball with two hands to retire the side.

BGSU-KSU GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED

The Falcons left nine runners on base in the second game, to KSU's three. For the home team, six of those nine runners were stranded on a fly ball to the warning track, a questionable call by an official and a line drive that was hit directly at a fielder's glove.
The Flashes again jumped on top early. This time, Kennadie Goth reached as her pool-cue shot sailed over the head of Gonzalez, landed just behind third base and spun into foul territory for a single. Then, Speers homered to right to give KSU a 2-0 lead. BG got out of the inning after Blevins made a nice running catch of a foul fly near the tarp in left, and Falcon starter Meredith Miller struck out the next hitter.
Brenna Brownfield started game two in the circle, and junior Alex Sorgi welcomed her there with a bunt single. But, a bunt attempt was popped up, and Brownfield then gloved a sharp grounder and threw to second to begin an inning-ending double play.
Holcomb singled in the second inning, but that frame ended when Natham's drive was caught just a few steps shy of the warning track in straightaway center.
Vanessa Vodan led off the third inning with an infield hit, but on a bunt attempt, the ball was caught by Miller, and after her running catch, the junior pitcher whirled and fired to first to get the runner as well.
BG got a pair of third-inning runners, on a Gonazlez walk and a single by Alex Sorgi. But, Huck got out of the inning with a fly ball to center and a popup near the right-field line behind the first-base bag.
There was some controversy in the fourth. Holcomb led off with a single through the left side of the infield, and Simmons duplicated the feat on the very next pitch. Then, a wild pitch put runners at second and third.
After a fly ball to shallow center produced the first out, Natham lined a ball off of the glove of diving shortstop Speers for a base hit, scoring Holcomb and moving pinch-runner Hamm to third. Gonzalez fouled off five pitches before drawing a walk on the ninth pitch of her at-bat, loading the bases, but a soft liner to shortstop produced the second out.
Then, Alex Sorgi lined a ball down the left-field line that landed just foul. Later in her at-bat, she hit another line drive, and this ball went up the middle for what appeared to be a game-tying RBI single. But, the umpire ruled that the junior was out of the box when she made contact with the ball. Instead of the game being tied with the bases still loaded, the Flashes were miraculously out of the inning.
Miller responded by quickly retiring the Flashes in order in the fifth, but three fly balls produced three outs in the bottom of the inning.
Speers walked with two outs in the sixth, and pinch-runner Alexis Taube took second on Bailey Brownfield's base hit, but Miller proceeded to strike out Brenna Brownfield to end the threat.
The close calls continued for the Falcons. Simmons led off the BG half of the sixth with a line drive to left. The ball hit at the very top of the wall, approximately a foot away from being a home run, and Simmons wound up with a leadoff double.
The junior took third base on Kaylee Parker's sac bunt, but Natham's scorching line drive was hit directly at third baseman Bailey Brownfield, who made the catch and just beat Simmons to the bag with a diving effort. Then, a fly ball to left resulted in the third out.
Miller worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning, and the Falcons were down to their final chance. Brenna Brownfield retired the first two hitters in the home half of the seventh, before Dees lined a ball to right for a single that dropped just inside the foul line.
Searle followed with a grounder toward short, and the senior beat the throw for a two-out single. Dees rounded second and took third, making a nifty slide to avoid a tag effort.
The next hitter, Holcomb, was not fooled at all by Brenna Brownfield's pitch, but the BG junior's blistering liner was hit directly at Bailey Brownfield, who was able to make the catch and end the game.

BGSU-KSU – STATS & LEADERS

Both teams had eight hits in the opener. Simmons was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, her sixth of the year, while Holcomb went 2-for-4 for the Falcons.
Brenna Brownfield was 2-for-3 for the Flashes, while Bailey Brownfield had a two-run double.
Huck picked up the win, walking two and striking out seven in her complete-game effort.
Brooke Parker took the loss, allowing three earned runs in her seven innings of work. Parker issued five walks – three to Speers – and struck out four. She threw 125 total pitches to Huck's 124.
BG, as mentioned, turned three double plays in game one (and a fourth in the second game).
The Falcons had a 9-5 advantage in hits in game two. Simmons again went 2-for-3 and Holcomb 2-for-4 in game two on Saturday. Alex Sorgi also was 2-for-4 in the game.
One of Simmons' hits was a double that barely missed being her second homer in as many games.
Natham picked up her second RBI single on the day.
Five different Flashes had one hit apiece.
Brenna Brownfield went all the way to pick up the win despite allowing nine hits (but just one run). She walked to Falcons and did not strike out a batter. She threw 96 pitches.
Miller also threw 96 pitches for BG, suffering the tough-luck loss. She walked one batter and struck out six.

UP NEXT

BGSU wraps up non-conference play on Tuesday (May 1), heading to Wright State University for an 11:00 a.m. game.
Then, the Falcons will conclude regular-season play with a three-game set against MAC-leading Ohio next Friday and Saturday (May 4-5) at Meserve Field.

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