Four-Run Sixth Lifts WIU Past Falcons

Sunday, March 10

Athens, GA

10:30 AM

Bowling Green State University

4-11

Western Illinois

6-8

Western Illinois

Bowling Green

March 10, 2019 | Softball

Box Score BGSU-WIU Box Score

BGSU opens the home schedule on Wednesday vs. Oakland

By: ATHENS, Ga. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Western Illinois University scored four times in the sixth inning en route to a 4-3 win over the Bowling Green State University softball team Sunday (March 10). The game, the Falcons' final contest in the UGA Classic, was held at Jack Turner Stadium.

BG jumped on top when sophomore Payton Hamm doubled and scored in the second inning, and junior Madi McCoy's two-run homer gave the Brown and Orange a three-run lead in the fifth, but the Leathernecks struck for four runs in the very next half-inning.

Hamm had two hits in Sunday's game. Junior Taylor Blevins had a hit in each of BGSU's five games in the weekend tournament, and scored one of the Falcons' runs on Sunday.

BGSU-WIU – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Senior Brooke Parker issued a walk to Jasmine Lara to begin the game, but got Payton Abbott to hit a double-play ball, and another grounder ended the half inning.
• McCoy reached on a two-out error in the bottom of the first, but was stranded at first base.
• The second inning saw Hailey Duwa hit a leadoff triple, but Parker and the Falcons kept her from advancing any further. Ashley Minyard grounded out to McCoy at second, with Duwa unable to advance, and Parker then struck out both Danielle Olson and Madison Boone.
• BG broke on top in the bottom of the second. Hamm led off with a double to left-center, and the sophomore took third base on a fly ball to right by classmate Sarah Gonzalez. Another soph, Nikki Sorgi, put the ball in the air to right, with Hamm tagging and scoring on the sacrifice fly to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
• The Leathernecks put a pair of runners on base in the fourth. Duwa singled with one out, and Olson had a base hit with two down. But, Parker got Boone to hit a ground ball that resulted in a force play at third.
• Hamm singled with one out in the bottom of the inning, and Gonzalez followed by drawing a walk, but Abbott, the WIU starter, got a fly ball to left and an inning-ending strikeout.
• Senior Meredith Miller replaced Parker in the circle to begin the fifth. She allowed a two-out single, but struck out the side.
• The bottom of the fifth saw the first two Falcons retired, before Blevins singled through the left side. Then, McCoy homered to left-center, giving the Orange and Brown a 3-0 lead. Kellie Natham was hit by an Abbott pitch, but pinch-runner Kathleen Shier was unable to advance as the next hitter popped up to the right side.
• Sydney Hollings homered down the left-field line to lead off the WIU sixth. Duwa doubled and a Minyard fielder's choice put runners at the corners. Then, Olson and Aly Compton hit singles, sandwiched around a Boone groundout. All three plays scored a run, with Olson touching the plate on the Compton hit to give WIU the lead.
• Parker returned to the game and got Alyssa Ealy to hit a grounder that resulted in a force play at second. Then, she induced Lara to pop up to Sammy Dees at short.
• Junior Evelyn Loyola had a two-out pinch-hit single in the sixth, and McCoy walked on four pitches with two down in the seventh, but the Falcons could not manufacture the tying run.

BGSU-WIU STATS & LEADERS
• WIU outhit BGSU, 10-5. Duwa was 3-for-4 on the day, while both Lara and Olson had two hits. Lara also walked once.
• Hamm went 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Falcons, while Blevins, Loyola and McCoy each had a hit. McCoy's hit was a two-run homer, her second of the season, while Hamm had a double and scored BG's first run.
• Hamm is now tied for the team lead with three multiple-hit games this season.
• Abbott picked up the complete-game win for the Leathernecks, allowing three runs and five hits. She walked two BG batters and struck out four.
• Parker pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball for the Falcons, allowing five hits. She issued two walks and had four strikeouts, with 44 strikes among her 67 pitches.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons begin the home portion of the season with a Wednesday (March 13) doubleheader vs. Oakland University. First pitch of the first game is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Meserve Field, and admission is free.
• Next weekend, BGSU heads to Kentucky to play four games in the Morehead State Classic on Saturday and Sunday (March 16-17). The Falcons are scheduled to play two games against St. Bonaventure and two vs. host MSU.

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.