Buffalo Hangs on to Win a Wild One at Meserve

Friday, April 12

Bowling Green, OH

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

15-22, 3-9

Buffalo

8-23-1, 5-3-1

Buffalo

Bowling Green

Photo by: Larry Clapper

April 12, 2019 | Softball

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BGSU comeback falls just short in Friday's 11-9 setback

By: BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team's late-game comeback came up just short, as the University at Buffalo hung on for an 11-9 win Friday afternoon (April 12). The game, the opening contest in the teams' Mid-American Conference weekend series, was held at Meserve Field.

The Falcons fell behind by eight runs, as UB scored in each of the first five innings. But, BG banged out five-straight hits to begin the fifth inning, scoring six times in the frame.

Buffalo had built the lead with the help of three home runs in the first four frames. UB's Alicia Peters, who hit the first of those round-trippers, had six RBI on the day.

BG's comeback was a team effort, as four Falcons had two hits apiece, and eight different players had at least one hit. The home team had four hits in the fourth inning and six more in the fifth.

SATURDAY IS HEROES DAY
The teams will wrap up the three-game weekend series with a Saturday (April 13) doubleheader, scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. Saturday is Heroes Day at Meserve, with a giant flag scheduled to be unveiled in the outfield prior to the National Anthem, and several ceremonial first pitches preceding the first game.

BGSU-BUFFALO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Bulls jumped out to an early lead. After BGSU starting pitcher Meredith Miller retired the first two batters of the game, Jenelle Martinez singled up the middle, and Alicia Peters followed with a home run to center. UB would put two more runners on base before Miller got Hannah Bardeen to pop up to shortstop Sarah Gonzalez for the third out.
• BG got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Alex Sorgi led off with a single up the middle, and the senior stole second and went to third on a grounder to the right side by junior Taylor Blevins. Sorgi then scored on a passed ball.
• But, the visitors scored twice in the second inning. Catrell Robertson led off with a walk, and one out later, Alexis Matheney singled to put two runners aboard. The Falcons got the second out on a force play at third, but a Martinez hard-hit ball loaded the bases, and Peters followed with a bloop single to left-center that plated two runs.
• Then, Bardeen led off the third inning with a home run. Senior Brooke Parker entered the game and retired the next three hitters, but the Falcons trailed, 5-1.
• Freshman Madeline Dyer reached on an error in the bottom of the third, and after Alex Sorgi moved her to second with a sac bunt, Blevins beat out an infield grounder for a hit that put runners at the corners. But, the Bulls got a popup for the second out, then thwarted a BG double-steal attempt to get out of the inning.
• And, the visitors added to the lead in the fourth. A double by Anna Aguon and another Martinez base hit put runners at the corners. Martinez stole second, but Parker struck out Peters for the first out of the inning. A Gabby Keller grounder to the right side scored Aguon, but produced the second out.
• But, Alissa Karjel followed with a two-run homer for an 8-1 UB lead.
• BG got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth. Senior Kellie Natham led off with a single, and sophomore Nikki Sorgi's fly ball went over rightfielder Ufuoma Ogagan's head and landed at the base of the fence. Sorgi wound up with a single, as pinch-runner Kathleen Shier was forced to wait to make sure the ball would not be caught, and advanced to second.
• But, junior Evelyn Loyola followed with a base hit to center, scoring Shier and sending Sorgi to third. And, a sacrifice fly by Gonzalez enabled Sorgi to tag and score the Falcons' third run of the day. Senior Kali Holcomb then singled, but UB starter Lace Smith got the third out on a fly ball to center.
• UB, once again, came right back in the fifth. With one out, Ogagan walked, and Matheny also drew a base on balls against sophomore Madison French. Aguon singled to score Ogagan, and one out later, Peters doubled to right to plate a pair.
• The Bulls had an eight-run lead in the fifth, and needed just three outs to post a run-rule victory. But, BG proceeded to string together five-straight hits to start the half-inning, and by the time the fifth inning was complete, it was a two-run game.
• Alex Sorgi singled up the middle, and Blevins easily beat out a grounder in the hole at shortstop. Sophomore Payton Hamm's base hit up the middle scored Sorgi, and the runners moved to second and third on the throw.
• Then, Natham blasted a ball to deep right for a double, with Blevins trotting home, and Nikki Sorgi followed with a double to the gap in left-center, scoring a pair of runs and chasing Smith.
• Ally Power entered the circle for the Bulls, and got a strikeout for the first out of the inning. But, Gonzalez proceeded to drive a ball deep to right for a triple, with Sorgi scoring easily. Then, Holcomb hit a grounder to third. Peters fielded it, looked Gonzalez back to the bag, but threw wildly to first. Gonzalez trotted home, and Holcomb went all the way to third on the play. Power, however, recovered to strike out the next two batters.
• Miller returned to the circle and retired five-straight batters. She allowed a two-out hit by Martinez in the seventh, and the ball got past Blevins in left field. But, the junior tracked it down and threw a strike to third baseman Dyer, who applied the tag on Martinez to end the inning.
• But, after BG had four hits in the fourth inning and six more in the fifth, Power retired the last eight batters of the game. After those two strikeouts to end the fifth, she struck out the side in the sixth.
• Then, in the seventh, Nikki Sorgi hit a ball to left field, and leftfielder Aguon made a nifty running catch in foul ground, holding onto the ball as she crashed into the fence near the tarp. Power then got a popup to shallow right and one more strikeout to close out the game.

BGSU-BUFFALO STATS & LEADERS
• UB had a 15-12 lead in the hits department, with the three, four and five hitters in the Bulls' order combining for 10 hits.
• Martinez was 4-for-5 at the plate, while Peters was 3-for-4 with six RBI. She had a two-run homer, a two-run double and a two-run single.
• Keller also went 3-for-4 for the Bulls, while Karjel and Bardeen each homered.
• Four players had multi-hit afternoons for the home team. Alex Sorgi was 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored. Nikki Sorgi also scored twice, and was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double.
• Blevins and Natham both went 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Natham also drove in a run with her fifth-inning double.
• Gonzalez tripled, walked and had a sacrifice fly. She scored a run and drove in a pair.
• Hamm and Loyola had run-scoring singles, while Holcomb also had a base hit.
• Smith picked up the win for the Bulls in the circle, despite allowing eight runs (seven earned) and 11 hits in four innings of work. She walked two and did not strike out a batter.
• Power allowed just one run in three innings, and it was unearned. She surrendered only one hit, striking out seven without issuing a walk.
• Miller took the loss for the Falcons. She pitched the first two and the last two innings, also facing a batter in the third, and allowed five runs. Parker and French each surrendered three runs and three hits.
• UB left seven runners on base to the Falcons' four.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons and Bulls, as mentioned, will wrap up their three-game weekend series with a Saturday (April 13) doubleheader, with game one slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. at Meserve Field.
• Admission to all BGSU home softball games is free.
• Following Saturday's UB DH, the Brown and Orange will hit the road for five games in Michigan next week. BG will face Detroit Mercy in a Tuesday twinbill (April 16) in the Motor City, then will meet Western Michigan in a three-game weekend series in Kalamazoo.

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.