Falcons Sweep a Pair of Friday Thrillers at GWU Tourney

Friday, February 22

Boiling Springs, NC

10:00 AM

Bowling Green State University

1-3

Saint Francis (Pa.)

5-5

BGSU

St. Francis

Meredith Miller picked up 2 wins on Friday, with 17 strikeouts in the nightcap

Photo by: Larry Clapper

February 22, 2019 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 BGSU-SFU Box Score BGSU-GWU Box Score

BG downs SFU, 8-7, before topping the hosts, 5-4 in eight

By: BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

On a rainy Friday in Boiling Springs, N.C., the Bowling Green State University softball team played a pair of heart-stopping games. When the proverbial smoke had cleared, the Falcons had emerged with a pair of one-run wins.

BGSU rallied for an 8-7 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) in the day's first game, then returned to the diamond and gutted out a 5-4, eight-inning victory over host Gardner-Webb at the GWU Softball Tournament.

Sophomore Nikki Sorgi clubbed a three-run homer, the first of her BGSU career, in the SFU game. Senior Meredith Miller picked up the win in relief, while classmate Brooke Parker, the Falcons' starter in the circle, returned to the game and recorded the final out to earn the save.

In BG's second game of the day, the teams battled through seven scoreless innings, before a total of nine runs were scored in the surreal eighth frame. The Falcons scored five in the top of the inning, capped by a grand slam off the bat of sophomore Sarah Gonzalez. The Runnin' Bulldogs rallied in the bottom of the inning against Miller, who had carried a one-hit shutout into the eighth. But, the senior struck out the final three batters she faced to close out her second win of the day. Miller had a career-high 17 strikeouts in the victory.

BGSU-SFU HIGHLIGHTS
• The Falcons outhit the Red Flash, 12-5, and BGSU scored in each of the game's last four innings.
• BGSU spotted SFU a 4-0 lead before getting a run in the fourth inning and four more in the fifth. Sophomore Nikki Sorgi's three-run homer in that fifth frame gave the Brown and Orange a 5-4 lead.
• The Red Flash tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, but BG scored twice in the sixth and once more in the seventh. After senior Meredith Miller got the first two outs of the seventh inning, an error was followed by a two-run homer that narrowed BG's lead to a single run. But, senior Brooke Parker returned to the game and got the final out.

BGSU-SFU – HOW IT HAPPENED
• A double by sophomore Sammy Dees proved to be the only baserunner for either team in the first inning. The bottom of the inning saw Parker retire the Red Flash on a total of just four pitches.
• SFU starter Meadow Uncapher and Parker each worked one-two-three second innings, before the Falcons threatened in the third. Sophomore Payton Hamm was hit by a pitch with one out, and singles by senior Alex Sorgi and junior Taylor Blevins loaded the bases.
• Dees followed by hitting a scorcher, but the ball was gloved by the SFU first baseman, beginning an inning-ending double play.
• The Red Flash took the lead with a four-run third. Brittney Crawford singled, and wound up beating the throw to second on a fielder's-choice grounder, putting two runners on base with none out.
• A grounder moved each runner up a base, and a MeKenzie Saban walk loaded the bases. Parker struck out Mikayla Bower for the second out, but Hayley Norton's bases-clearing double gave SFU a three-run lead, and Norton then scored on a double by Cheyenne McKee.
• BG got a run back with a two-out rally in the fourth. Nikki Sorgi singled, fellow soph Sarah Gonzalez walked, and junior Logan Everett's single through the right side of the infield plated Sorgi to make it a 4-1 game.
• Sierra McKee reached third base with no outs in the bottom of the inning, on a double and a wild pitch, but Parker escaped the jam without allowing a run. Then, BG took the lead with a four-run fifth.
• For the second-straight inning, all of the magic happened after the first two hitters were retired. Dees singled, and senior Kellie Natham moved her to second with a base hit. Then, Dees would score on senior Kali Holcomb's single.
• Nikki Sorgi followed with her first collegiate homer, a three-run shot to left-center, and pinch-runner Madeline Dyer and Holcomb trotted home ahead of her. Gonzalez doubled before Uncapher got the third out.
• But, the bottom of the inning saw the Red Flash tie the score via bases on balls. Sophomore Madison French issued a pair of walks, and Miller entered the game and surrendered a walk to load the bases, before Norton's fly ball to right allowed the tying run to score from third. After yet another walk, Miller got out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
• BG immediately responded with a pair of runs in the sixth. Hamm was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game, and after Lauren Bertig entered the circle for the Red Flash, Alex Sorgi reached on an error, with Hamm advancing all the way to third.
• Sorgi promptly stole second, and after an infield popup produced the first out, a Dees sacrifice fly scored Hamm. Then, Sorgi crossed the plate when Natham doubled to right-center, and the Falcons had a 7-5 lead.
• Miller worked around a one-out walk in the home half of the sixth, and BG added what would prove to be a key run in the seventh. Gonzalez hit her second double of the game, then stole third. Everett and Hamm walked to load the bases, and pinch-hitter Marissa Mullen was hit by a pitch to earn her first collegiate RBI the hard way. Bertig got a pair of called third strikes to escape further damage.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Miller got the first two outs on a total of two pitches. But, Cheyenne McKee reached on an error, and Jordan Frank followed with a homer that reduced BG's lead to a single run.
• Parker re-entered the game, and induced Crawford to hit a popup. Shortstop Dees made a nifty diving catch to give the Falcons the win.

BGSU-SFU STATS & LEADERS
• The Falcons, as mentioned, outhit the Red Flash, 12-5. BG has five extra-base hits and SFU four in the game.
• Nikki Sorgi went 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and a three-run homer, the first round-tripper of her BGSU career.
• Both Dees and Gonzalez had a pair of hits as well. Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a walk, a stolen base and a run scored.
• Dees went 2-for-4 with a double, a sac fly, a run and an RBI.
• Natham also was 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the win.
• Four other Falcons had a hit apiece. Eight of BGSU's nine starters in the batting order had at least one hit, and the ninth – Hamm – reached base three times, on a walk, and a pair of hit-by-pitches.
• Miller picked up the win in relief, allowing one hit in two-and-two-thirds innings of work. She allowed two runs (both unearned), walked four batters and struck out three.
• Parker, the starter, threw the first four innings, then returned to the game to pick up the final out and earn the save. She allowed four runs and four hits, walking one and striking out four.

BGSU-GWU – HOW IT HAPPENED (THE FIRST SEVEN INNINGS)
• Miller and GWU starter Brooke Perry hooked up in an epic pitcher's duel for seven innings. The duo combined to allow zero runs and three hits – two off of Perry and just one against Miller – in those seven frames.
• Neither team had a hit over the first two-and-a-half innings. BG's only baserunners during that time came on walks to Dees (with two outs in the first) and Mullen (leading off the third).
• The Runnin' Bulldogs' Andria Booth led off the home half of the first inning with a walk, promptly stole second and took third on a sacrifice bunt, but Miller got a popup to Nikki Sorgi at second base for the third out.
• Jenna Wacaster drew a walk with one down in the second, but Miller struck out each of the other three hitters she faced in that half-inning.
• In the home third, Booth beat out a slow roller to the right side for the game's first hit. She stole second once again, and Kaylee Wacaster walked with two down but Miller got Autumn Owen to swing and miss for the third out.
• BG's first hit came when Dees doubled down the left-field line to lead off the fourth. The sophomore was cut down on the bases on Natham's grounder, however, and after Holcomb singled to put two runners aboard, Perry struck out the next two Falcons to end the threat.
• Miller worked a one-two-three fourth inning, striking out the first and last batters, and BG got a runner as far as third base in the top of the fifth. Mullen drew a walk, and pinch-runner Kendyl Wheeler stole second base. Perry got a strikeout before Wheeler took second on a groundout. Then, however, a fly ball to left produced the third out.
• The bottom of the fifth saw Booth reach on a two-out error, then steal her third base of the game, but Miller got a ground ball to Gonzalez at third that retired the side.
• Holcomb walked and took second on a wild pitch in the top of the sixth, but after that, no other player reached base for either team through the remainder of regulation.
• Miller struck out five-straight batters to send the game to extras, getting Owen and Perry to end the sixth before whiffing all three hitters she faced in the seventh.

BGSU-GWU – THE EIGHTH INNING
• The eighth inning was nothing short of surreal. Each team began the inning with a runner placed on second. Alex Sorgi led off the BG half of the eighth by drawing a four-pitch walk. Perry retired the next batter, but Dees walked on just four pitches to load the bases.
• The next batter, Natham, lofted a long foul ball down the right-field line. GWU rightfielder Annamarie Warley let the ball drop to prevent Everett, the runner at third, from tagging and scoring. It briefly appeared that the Runnin' Bulldogs' strategy might work as Perry retired Natham for the second out.
• Holcomb came to the plate, and Perry's very next pitch got past the catcher, with Everett scoring the game's first run on the wild pitch. Holcomb wound up working a walk to reload the bases.
• The next batter, Gonzalez, turned on a Perry pitch, depositing it over the left-field fence for a grand slam. The Falcons had a five-run lead.
• Nikki Sorgi reached on an infield hit, and continued on to second when the throw skipped past the first baseman. Then, Mullen was hit by a pitch before Perry finally got the third out.
• The hosts made the game very, very interesting in the bottom of the inning. Weslyn Almond was hit by a pitch to begin the inning, and a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. Booth followed with a two-run double to left, and Warley singled to plate Booth and make it a 5-3 game.
• Warley, who had continued on to second on a BG error, then took third on a wild pitch, and after a Kaylee Wacaster walk, Owen reached on an error that scored another run. BG's lead was down to 5-4, the hosts had runners at first and second, and there were still no outs.
• Miller, however, struck out Perry for the fourth time on the night. Then, she whiffed Jenna Wacaster for out number two.
• The next batter was Callie Thornton. Miller threw a first-pitch ball, then threw a pair of strikes to put the count in her favor. Thornton, who had struck out in each of her first three at-bats, then fouled off each of the next four pitches before taking a pitch outside the zone that worked the count to 2-2.
• Miller's next pitch, though, got Thornton swinging, and the Falcons had the victory.

BGSU-GWU STATS & LEADERS
• Miller was stellar on Friday night, striking out a career-high 17 batters en route to her second win of the day. She allowed just three hits in her eight-inning complete game.
• The senior surrendered just one hit in seven scoreless innings, before the wild eighth inning.
• For the game, Miller allowed three hits and four runs (two earned), walking four. Miller threw a total of 143 pitches, including 86 strikes.
• Perry suffered the loss, allowing four hits and striking out 14. She walked seven batters on the night, including three in the fateful eighth inning.
• Perry threw a total of 165 pitches, including 89 strikes.
• At the plate, four different Falcons had one hit apiece. Gonzalez, obviously, struck the big blow with her eighth-inning grand slam, while Dees had a double and a pair of walks.
• Holcomb's stat line was nearly identical to Dees' numbers, as the senior also went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run. Nikki Sorgi had a hit, while Mullen reached base three times on two walks and a hit-by-pitch.
• Booth had two her her team's three hits, including a double, and had a walk, a run and two RBI.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons continue action in the GWU Softball Tournament with a pair of games on Saturday (Feb. 23). BGSU is scheduled to play GWU at 12:00 p.m. before meeting East Tennessee State at 4:00 p.m.
• Then, the Brown and Orange will wrap up weekend action on Sunday (Feb. 24), facing SFU in a 10:00 a.m. first pitch.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
For more information on all things BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.