Falcons, RedHawks Washed Away in Oxford

Tuesday, April 3

Oxford, OH

3:00 PM ET

Bowling Green State University

Miami

Sammy Dees (7) walked, was hit by a pitch & scored a run at Miami Tuesday

April 03, 2018 | Softball

BGSU and Miami will play a DH at Meserve Field next week

By: OXFORD, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team saw Tuesday's (April 3) scheduled doubleheader at Miami University washed away due to rain and lightning. The Falcons and RedHawks will play a doubleheader at Meserve Field next week.

BG and MU completed two innings of Tuesday's scheduled game, and before Sarah Gonzalez could step into the batter's box to begin the third inning, the teams were called off the field due to lightning approaching the Oxford area.

LINKS
BGSU-MIAMI STATSTICS: PDF

After a delay of over three hours, the teams resumed play, but with two outs in the top of the fourth, the rain and lightning returned, and the field quickly became unplayable.

The original schedule had called for the Falcons to play a pair of games in Oxford on Tuesday, and a single game vs. the RedHawks next Wednesday (April 11). Now, BG and Miami will play two games at Meserve Field, with the starting time still to be determined.

BGSU-MIAMI NOTES

The RedHawks jumped on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Megan Wurts led off with a walk, and Haeley Tran reached on a bunt single to put two runners aboard. After a one-out double steal put both runners in scoring position, Kat Lee came through with a two-out, two-run single.
Both teams were retired in order in the second inning, and as the inning ended, the teams were called off of the field due to an approaching storm.
That weather delay, which began at 3:09 p.m., lasted over three hours (three hours and 11 minutes, to be exact).
The game resumed at 6:20 p.m., and MU starter Courtney Vierstra picked up where she left off, retiring her seventh and eighth consecutive hitters. Freshman Payton Hamm reached on a two-out walk, but junior Alex Sorgi was called out on a bang-bang play at first base to end the inning.
BG starter Meredith Miller, who allowed two runs and two hits in the first inning, then retired six of the seven hitters she faced over the next two frames.
Freshman Sammy Dees was hit by a pitch to begin the fourth inning, and senior Aspen Searle laid down a sacrifice bunt. Both runners were safe, however, as the MU throw to first base sailed over the fielder's head. Dees wound up at third on the play.
Vierstra got a strikeout, but junior Kaylee Parker smashed a ball through the left side of the infield for a run-scoring single, as Dees trotted home. With runners at first and second, a nice diving stop by the third baseman resulted in an out, and the RedHawks got out of the inning without allowing the tying run.
MU got a runner aboard in the bottom of the inning, on a strikeout and a passed ball, but the next hitter grounded to short, and after Searle threw to first, Kaylee Parker fired to third to get the lead runner for an inning-ending double play.
In the top of the fifth, junior Kellie Natham lined a ball to left for a leadoff hit, and Hamm's sac bunt saw both BG runners advance safely as pinch-runner Hannah Giammarino beat the throw to second.
Alex Sorgi's sac bunt moved the runners to second and third, and Dees walked to load the bases. Vierstra got a strikeout for the second out.
With MU clinging to a 2-1 lead, the bases loaded and BG's cleanup hitter, Kali Holcomb, coming to the plate, several flashes of lightning resulted in another delay. This time, the lightning was quickly accompanied by pouring rain, and the field quickly became unplayable.
Miami had a narrow 3-2 advantage in hits (although stats from the game do not count), with Kaylee Parker and Natham picking up the Falcons' hits. Dees reached base twice, as she walked and was hit by a pitch.
Miller struck out six batters in four innings of work, allowing two runs, three hits and one walk.
Vierstra allowed a run and two hits, walking two batters and whiffing seven.

UP NEXT

The Falcons head to the Glass City for a three-game weekend series vs. Toledo. BGSU is scheduled to meet the Rockets in a Friday (April 6) single game, beginning at 3:00 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (April 7) at UT's Scott Park.
Then, the Brown and Orange will return home for a twinbill vs. Miami on Wednesday, April 11. As mentioned earlier, starting time for game one is still to be determined.

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