MU Tops Falcons, 2-0, in Oxford

Wednesday, April 10

Oxford, OH

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

15-21, 3-8

Miami

21-13, 6-3

Bowling Green

Miami

Meredith Miller Kellie Natham v Toledo - March 29 2019

Photo by: Larry Clapper

April 10, 2019 | Softball

Box Score BGSU-Miami Box Score

BGSU returns home for 3-game weekend series with Buffalo

By: OXFORD, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Miami University scored single runs in back-to-back innings, and the RedHawks picked up a 2-0 win over the Bowling Green State University softball team Wednesday afternoon (April 10). The Mid-American Conference matchup was held at the Miami Softball Stadium.

RedHawk pitchers Brianna Pratt and Courtney Vierstra combined on a four-hitter, while Haeley Tran singled home a run in the third inning and Jenny Vasquez homered in the fourth.

BGSU senior Meredith Miller allowed six hits in her complete-game effort, walking just one batter and striking out four.

BGSU-MIAMI – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Pratt worked the first four innings, allowing three hits and walking one batter.
• Morgan Lott, who was 2-for-2 with a walk on Wednesday, singled and stole a base in the bottom of the first. But, after Lott's one-out hit, Miller struck out MU's number-three hitter, Ashton Slone, then whiffed cleanup hitter Johniann Wahl.
• Sophomore Nikki Sorgi singled in the second, with a hard-hit ball up the middle. Pratt was able to knock the ball down, but Sorgi beat the throw to first. However, Pratt retired the next hitter for the third out.
• Miller worked a one-two-three second inning, and senior Alex Sorgi singled with two down in the third, but the Falcons could not advance her past first.
• The RedHawks got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. Kara Leckinger was hit by a pitch, and Adriana Barlow sacrificed pinch-runner Riley Coyne to second. On the play, Coyne rounded second base and was caught in a rundown, but was able to elude a tag attempt and advance to third base. Then, Tran's single up the middle scored Coyne with the game's first run.
• Lott singled, but with Miami runners on second and third with one out, Miller got Slone to hit a grounder to Nikki Sorgi at second. Sorgi threw to first for the second out, with the runners forced to hold. Then, third baseman Madeline Dyer made a nice stop on a hard-hit ball off the bat of Wahl, throwing out the MU number-four hitter to end the inning.
• Sophomore Payton Hamm led off the fourth with a single to center, and she took second on a sac bunt by senior Kellie Natham. Junior Kendyl Wheeler drew a walk, but Pratt was able to get the next two BG batters to keep the Falcons off of the scoreboard.
• Vasquez led off the bottom of the fourth with a home run to left, doubling the MU lead. And, the RedHawks got back-to-back one-out hits, but Miller got a foul pop that catcher Evelyn Loyola gloved, then a soft liner to Nikki Sorgi at second.
• Vierstra entered the game to begin the fifth, and walked Dyer with one out, but struck out the next two hitters.
• Miller walked Lott to begin the MU sixth, and the RedHawks' sophomore took second on a groundout, then stole third. But, Miller struck out Vasquez on three pitches to retire the side.
• The BG sixth saw the Falcons put two runners aboard. Hamm was hit by a pitch, and Natham followed with an infield hit. But, Vierstra got a strikeout, a grounder that resulted in a force play at second, then struck out another BG batter to tne the half-inning.
• The Miami sixth saw a hit batter erased by an inning-ending double play. But, Vierstra set down the Falcons in order in the seventh to close out the victory.

BGSU-MIAMI STATS & LEADERS
• Miami had a narrow 6-4 lead in the hits department. Lott was the game's lone player with more than one hit.
• For the Falcons, Hamm reached base twice on a single and a hit-by-pitch, while Natham had a single and a sac bunt.
• Pratt picked up the win for the RedHawks, allowing three hits in her four innings of work. She walked one batter and struck out six.
• Vierstra earned the save with three innings of one-hit relief. She issued one walk and had seven strikeouts.
• Miller threw 67 strikes among 92 total pitches in her complete-game effort. She gave up two runs and six hits, walking one hitter and striking out four.

NOTES
• Junior Kendyl Wheeler made just her fourth start of the season, and her first since Feb. 23. Wheeler, who started a total of 65 games over her first two seasons, has missed much of the 2019 season due to injury.
• The Falcons were shut out for the first time since Feb. 9, and just the fifth time in in 36 games this season.
• Prior to Wednesday, BGSU had scored at least one run in 22 consecutive games, the program's longest such streak in six years.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons return home to prepare for a three-game weekend series against Buffalo. BGSU battles the Bulls in a Friday (April 12) contest, which will begin at 3:00 p.m. at Meserve Field.
• Then, the Falcons and UB will play a Saturday (April 13) doubleheader, with game one slated to begin at 1:00 p.m.
• Admission to all BGSU home softball games is free.

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.