Parker Shines vs. No. 8 Georgia

Friday, March 8

Athens, GA

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

4-7

Elon

12-6-1

Bowling Green

Elon

March 08, 2019 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 BGSU-Elon Box Score BGSU-Georgia Box Score

Senior throws a four-hitter against the top-scoring team in the nation, but BG drops a pair of close games on Friday

By: ATHENS, Ga. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team received a pair of solid pitching performances on Friday (March 8), but the Falcons dropped a pair of close games. BGSU fell, 2-1, to Elon University in the day's first game, before losing a narrow 2-0 decision to the No. 8 University of Georgia.

Both games, part of first-day action at the UGA Classic, were held at Jack Turner Stadium.

In the opener, BGSU outhit Elon by a 7-5 count, but the Phoenix got single runs in the second and third innings, and EU starter Abby Barker made that lead hold up.

Senior Meredith Miller allowed just two runs and five hits in the opening-game setback.

The nightcap saw UGA, the eighth-ranked team in the nation, get a pair of first-inning runs off of senior Brooke Parker.

The Bulldogs, who improved to 20-2 on the season, entered Friday's game leading the nation in scoring, with 8.95 runs per game, and ranking third in the country in slugging percentage (.630).

But, after surrendering those early runs – one of which was unearned – Parker allowed just two hits and no runs the rest of the way. Only one UGA runner advanced as far as second base over the last five innings, and that came on a BG throwing error.

The Falcon offense, however, had a total of just 10 hits in the two games. The top of the lineup fueled the Falcons, as leadoff hitter Alex Sorgi and number-two hitter Payton Hamm each had three hits on the day.

Both Sorgi, a senior, and Hamm, a sophomore, had two hits in the opener and one base knock in the nightcap. Hamm had a double and a sacrifice bunt against Elon, while Sorgi stole a base against the Phoenix.

Junior Taylor Blevins had a pinch-hit single in each game.

BGSU-ELON – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons got a pair of first-inning baserunners against Elon starter Abby Barker, but could not break through. Alex Sorgi led off the game with a single to center, and after sophomore Payton Hamm's sac bunt sent her to second, sohomore Sarah Gonzalez singled to put runners at the corners with one down. But, Barker got a strikeout and a grounder to second to escape the jam.
• BG starter Meredith Miller set down the Phoenix in order in the first inning, but after the Falcons were retired in the second, Elon got on the board in the bottom of the inning.
• That frame saw Ally Repko lead off with a walk and advance to second on an infield hit by Rebecca Murray. After a foul pop produced the first out, Tia Mitchell drew a walk to load the bases, and a two-out base on balls with Callie Horn at the plate allowed Repko to score.
• BG looked for a two-out rally in the third, as Hamm singled and Gonzalez walked, but a fly ball to right produced the third out.
• In the home half of the third, Erica Serafini drew a leadoff walk and scored on Repko's one-out double.
• For the third time in four innings, BG put two runners aboard, as junior Madi McCoy reached on an infield error to begin the fourth frame, and freshman Marissa Mullen drew a one-out walk. But, a popup to short and a strikeout ended the half-inning.
• In the bottom of the fourth, Miller allowed a leadoff double to Tia Mitchell, but kept the Phoenix off of the scoreboard by retiring the next three hitters, including a strikeout of pinch-hitter Grace Sherron to end the inning.
• Alex Sorgi singled up the middle to begin the fifth, and stole second with two outs, but was left there after a fly ball to right retired the side.
• After Miller worked a one-two-three fifth, Mullen doubled with two down in the sixth, and a pinch-hit infield single by junior Taylor Blevins moved pinch-runner Kendyl Wheeler to third. Blevins stole second to put two Falcons in scoring position, but Barker induced an inning-ending grounder to short.
• Miller allowed a pair of singled in the bottom of the inning, but with runners at the corners, the senior got Horn to hit a fly ball to Hamm in left.
• In the seventh, Hamm doubled with one out, and came around to score on a Gonzalez sac fly. With the lead cut to a single run, Barker was able to get the next BG hitter to pop up on the infield, ending the game.

BGSU-ELON STATS & LEADERS
• As mentioned, the Falcons had a 7-5 lead in hits.
• Hamm was 2-for-3 with a double, a sac bunt and a run scored. Alex Sorgi went 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
• Gonzalez had a hit, a walk and a sacrifice fly in four plate appearances, while Blevins and Mullen each had a hit as well.
• Five different players had one hit apiece for the Phoenix. Repko had a double, a walk, a run and an RBI, while Mitchell had a hit and a walk. Serafini walked and scored a run for Elon, while Horn had an RBI base on balls.
• Barker picked up the win, scattering seven hits over seven innings. She walked two Falcons and struck out seven.
• Miller took the loss, giving up two runs and five hits in her complete-game effort. The senior walked four hitters and struck out six.
• BGSU left nine runners on base to Elon's seven.

BGSU-GEORGIA – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Bulldogs, who entered the game leading the nation in scoring, looked like they were on the way to continuing that season-long scoring trend with a pair of runs in the first inning.
• After UGA starter Lauren Mathis retired the Falcons in order, Ciara Bryan led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, then stole second. BG starter Brooke Parker struck out Justice Milz, but Alyssa DiCarlo fouled off four Parker pitches before hitting an RBI double on the ninth pitch of her at-bat.
• Bryan scored on the play, and after a walk and a grounder, Savana Sikes reached base on a two-out infield error that allowed DiCarlo to score. Sikes was subsequently picked off to end the inning.
• Sophomore Nikki Sorgi drew a two-out walk in the second inning for BG's first baserunner, but was stranded there.
• Then, in the third, back-to-back two-out singles by Alex Sorgi and Hamm put runners at the corners, but just as in the previous inning, a grounder retired the side.
• Parker allowed a two-out walk, but nothing else, in the bottom of the third, and McCoy reached on an error in the fourth, but was stuck at first.
• The bottom of the fourth saw Jordan Doggett walk and CJ Landrum single with two down, but Parker induced Bryan into hitting a fly ball to left.
• In the Bulldog fifth, a Milz walk was erased by an around-the-horn double play, and after Lacey Fincher singled with two down, Mahlena O'Neal hit a fly ball to center for the third out.
• Mullen drew a two-out, four-pitch walk in the sixth, and BG put two runners on in the seventh, as Nikki Sorgi was hit by a pitch and Blevins came through with a two-out, pinch-hit single. But, the Falcons could not get on the scoreboard, and the Bulldogs came away with the shutout win.

BGSU-GEORGIA STATS & LEADERS
• Mathis picked up the complete-game shutout win for the Bulldogs, allowing three hits. She walked two and struck out 10.
• Parker gave up just four hits to the top-scoring team in the nation. The BG senior surrendered only one earned run in her complete-game effort, walking four batters and striking out three.
• At the plate, seven different players had one hit apiece in the game. Fincher led the way for the hosts, going 1-for-1 and walking twice.
• Alex Sorgi, Hamm and Blevins each singled for the Falcons. Nikki Sorgi reached base twice, as she walked and was hit by a pitch.
• BG left seven runners on base, to UGA's six.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons continue action in the UGA Classic on Saturday (March 9). BGSU is scheduled to face Western Illinois at 10:30 a.m., and the Falcons meet No. 8 Georgia in a game slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.
• The latter game will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.

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.