Untimely Errors are BG's Undoing on Friday

Friday, March 1

Santa Barbara, CA

12:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

4-5

LIU Brooklyn

9-6

LIU Brooklyn

Bowling Green

March 01, 2019 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Falcons fall twice at Gaucho Classic

By: SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Untimely errors were the Bowling Green State University softball team's undoing on Friday (March 1), as the Falcons dropped a pair of games in the Gaucho Classic in Santa Barbara, Calif. BGSU fell, 1-0, to LIU Brooklyn, before losing an 11-3, five-inning contest to California.

The Falcons are now 4-6 on the young season.

In the LIU game, the lone run was unearned, as a Blackbird runner came around to score on a BG error. The Cal contest saw the Falcons extend the fifth inning with another miscue in the field, and the Golden Bears took full advantage, scoring nine times in the frame to turn a 3-2 deficit into a walk-off win.

Senior Meredith Miller threw a complete-game two-hitter in the opener, walking two batters and striking out eight. The Blackbirds scored the game's lone run in the sixth inning, without benefit of a hit.

Sophomore Nikki Sorgi continued her hot hitting in the nightcap, going 2-for-3 and driving in two of the Falcons' three runs. Sorgi now has a team-leading nine RBI this season, tripling her total for all of last year.

BGSU-LIU – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Each team had just one hit through the first four innings, as starting pitchers Meredith Miller and Elena Valenzuela threw goose eggs.
• Miller struck out the side in the first inning, and a one-out walk was erased in the second frame, when Miller, catcher Logan Everett and second baseman Nikki Sorgi combined to catch the runner trying to steal second. Miller's fourth strikeout of the day then retired the side.
• LIU got a one-out single and a two-out walk in the third, but Miller got Schae Dickson to pop up for the third out, and then retired the Blackbirds in order in the fourth.
• Meanwhile, though, Valenzuela was blanking the Falcons. Arguably BG's best scoring chance of the game came in the bottom of the first. Sophomore Sammy Dees led off with a single, and a walk to Alex Sorgi put a pair of runners aboard. A fielder's choice produced the first out at third, however, and a grounder to first was followed by an inning-ending fly ball to right.
• Sophomore Payton Hamm was hit by a pitch to begin the third, and after a fielder's choice, Alex Sorgi walked for the second time to move Dees to second. But, a double-play ball ended the threat.
• The Blackbirds got a one-out baserunner in the top of the fifth when Amanda Domingo singled through the left side, but Miller got a foul pop to the left side for out number two, then struck out Camryn Lyman to end the inning.
• Hamm drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the fifth, but another double-play ball sent the teams to the sixth.
• The Blackbirds took the lead with an unearned run in the sixth. After a swinging strikeout began the frame, Dickson was hit by a pitch, then took second on a wild pitch. Miller got the next batter to ground out to third, but on the play, Dickson came around to score on a throwing error to break the scoreless tie.
• The Falcons were retired in order in the home half of the sixth, but Miller worked a one-two-three seventh inning.
• In the bottom of the seventh, junior Madi McCoy reached on a one-out, pinch-hit infield single, but Valenzuela got a fly ball to center for the second out, and Everett's line drive was speared by the shortstop for the third out.
• Valenzuela picked up the win, allowing no runs and just two hits. She walked four batters and struck out three, improving to 5-1 on the year.
• Miller allowed just two hits and two walks, striking out eight. LIU's sixth-inning unearned run came without benefit of a hit. Miller is now 3-3 on the season.

BGSU-CAL – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The game's first baserunner came when senior Kellie Natham was hit by a Zoe Conley pitch to begin the second inning. Freshman Marissa Mullen singled with one out, sending pinch-runner Taylor Blevins to second. And, Blevins would reach third on a fielder's choice, but Conley got an inning-ending strikeout to escape the jam.
• The bottom of the inning saw the Golden Bears threaten against senior Brooke Parker. Lauren Espalin singled, and Makena Smith drew a walk, putting two runners aboard with no outs. But, Parker got a fielder's-choice grounder to retire Espalin at third, then a fly ball to left produced the second out.
• Both Cal runners advanced on that fly-ball out, but with those runners at second and third, Parker induced Karlee Sparacino to pop up, ending the inning.
• And, BG took the lead in the third. Freshman Emily Kepple led off with an infield single, and sophomore Sammy Dees laid down a bunt, moving pinch-runner Kendyl Wheeler to second. Wheeler took third on a grounder, and Nikki Sorgi then came through with a two-out single that plated Wheeler with the game's first run.
• The next hitter, Natham, smacked a double to right-center that doubled the BG lead, as Sorgi came all the way around to score.
• Each pitcher fired a one-two-three half-inning before the Bears got on the board in the home half of the fourth. Mikayla Coelho and Espalin singled, and a sac bunt moved the runners along. Destiny Blueford's two-out single would score both runners and tie the game.
• But, BG answered with a run in the top of the fifth. After Conley retired the first two runners, senior Alex Sorgi reached on a bunt single, and promptly stole second. Then, her younger sister singled through the left side. Nikki picked up her second hit and second RBI of the game, as Alex came around to score.
• However, it all unraveled for the Falcons in the bottom of the fifth, as Cal exploded for nine runs – eight of which were unearned.
• Jordan Fines drew a leadoff walk, and Lindsay Rood followed with a single. Miller, the Falcons' game-one pitcher, returned to the circle, but a walk to Amani Bradley loaded the bases with no outs.
• Miller struck out Coelho, but hit Espalin with a pitch to send home the tying run. Then, Smith reached on an error, scoring a pair of teammates and putting the Bears ahead for good. Miller got the second out, but Sparacino's two-out triple plated three teammates and gave Cal an 8-3 lead.
• The Falcons could not stop the figurative bleeding, as the Bears' next five batters reached on a walk, a hit-by-pitch and three singles, not necessarily in that order. The final hit, off the bat of Espalin, gave the Bears an eight-run lead and ended the contest.
• Espalin was a perfect 3-for-3 for Cal, with two runs scored and two RBI. Bradley and Rood each had two hits as the Bears had a total of 10.
• Nikki Sorgi led the BG attack, going 2-for-3 with a run scored and a pair of RBI. Kepple, Mullen, Natham and Alex Sorgi had one hit apiece, and Natham was also hit by a pitch, reaching base twice in three plate appearances.
• Conley picked up the win, allowing two earned runs and six hits in five innings of work. She struck out eight and did not walk a batter.
• BG's three pitchers – Parker, Miller and senior Kiley Sosby – allowed a total of 10 hits and 11 runs, but just three of the runs were earned.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons conclude play in the Gaucho Classic on Saturday (March 2). BGSU will face Pacific in a game scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. locally (12:00 p.m. ET).

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.