Photo by: Larry Clapper
Falcons Walk It Off in the 10th to Top Zips
April 27, 2019 | Softball
Box Score 1Box Score 2BGSU-Akron Game One Box ScoreBGSU-Akron Game Two Box ScoreBGSU-Akron HighlightsSenior Day Photo Gallery (Larry Clapper)
Akron salvages split of DH with game-two win
Junior Madi McCoy's hard-hit ground ball plated freshman Madeline Dyer in the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the Bowling Green State University softball team a 3-2 win over the University of Akron on Saturday afternoon (April 27) at Meserve Field.
The Zips rallied for a 5-1 win in game two as the teams split the Mid-American Conference doubleheader.
Senior Alex Sorgi tied the school record with four stolen bases in Saturday's second game. She now has a MAC-leading 29 steals this season to date.
The opening game marked the Falcons' longest contest, in terms of innings played, in over three years, and was BG's longest MAC game in over five seasons.
Sorgi had three hits in the twinbill, including a pair in the first game. Sophomore Sarah Gonzalez had a hit in each end of the doubleheader, including a double in the opener.
SENIOR DAY
• Saturday was Senior Day at Meserve Field, with the Falcons' seven seniors recognized in ceremonies prior to the opening game. That group includes Kali Holcomb, Meredith Miller, Kellie Natham, Brooke Parker, Kathleen Shier, Alex Sorgi and Kiley Sosby.
• All seven players saw action in at least one of Saturday's games.
A LITTLE SENIOR-DAY THIEVERY
• Senior Alex Sorgi tied the school record – a record she already shared – with four stolen bases in Saturday's second game. Sorgi also had four steals in a win over Mississippi Valley State last season (March 9, 2018).
• Single-game records are incomplete, but this much is known: no Falcon has ever stolen five bases in a game. Sorgi and Molly Holliday (April 2, 2015, vs. the school then known as IPFW) are the only two BGSU players with four steals in a game since 1994.
HIGHLIGHTS
FREE SOFTBALL
• Prior to Saturday's opener, the Falcons had not played a 10-inning game in over three years. BGSU and Michigan State went 10 innings on March 19, 2016, in a wild game won by the Spartans, 20-13.
• The Falcons' last MAC game to require a double-digit amount of innings came on April 6, 2014, when BGSU picked up a 9-5 win at Miami.
BGSU-AKRON GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Zips got on the board early in the opening game. Senior Meredith Miller struck out the first batter of the day, but Kayla Wulf doubled to left, and Laura Lakins reached on an infield single that put runners at the corners.
• Pinch-runner Sabria Bruton stole second, before Jessie Holzman hit a line drive to left. Sophomore Payton Hamm made the catch, and Wulf tagged up and headed home. It appeared as if Hamm's throw beat the runner to the plate, but Wulf was ruled safe, giving the Zips an early lead. Miller responded by getting Jordan Crews for her second strikeout of the inning.
• BG answered quickly, scoring twice in the bottom of the first. Hamm drew a one-out walk against Akron starter Adrian Smith, and junior Madi McCoy also walked after a 10-pitch at-bat in which she fouled off five pitches and worked her way back from a 1-2 count.
• Senior Kellie Natham's grounder to the right side moved the runners along, and sophomore Nikki Sorgi came through with a two-out, two-run single, as her flare fell in front of diving centerfielder Macky Mitchiner. Both Hamm and McCoy came around to score on the play.
• After each team found the scoreboard in the first inning, neither team would score again until the fifth. The Zips benefitted from a pair of BG errors in the second inning to put runners at second and third with two down, but Mitchiner's soft liner was grabbed by freshman Madeline Dyer at third.
• Wulf singled for the visitors in the third, and took second on a sac bunt, but Hamm made a nice diving catch on a fly ball by Holzman, before Miller struck out Crews for the second time.
• McCoy walked for the second time in as many plate appearances to give the Falcons a two-out baserunner in the third, but Smith got the third out.
• Miller retired the Zips in order in the fourth, but Smith returned the favor in the bottom of the inning. Then, Kimberly Rodriguez homered down the left-field line to begin the fifth inning, tying the game at 2-2.
• After the homer, neither team had a baserunner until Natham singled with two outs in the sixth. But, Smith got a popup on the very next pitch.
• Maddy Clowdus doubled with one out in the seventh, but pinch-runner Morgan Cadmus was gunned down by catcher Evelyn Loyola on a stolen-base attempt, and Miller struck out Rodriguez on three pitches.
• Sophomore Sarah Gonzalez doubled with two down in the home half of the seventh – BG's only extra-base hit in the twinbill – but Smith struck out the next batter to send the game to extra innings.
• Senior Alex Sorgi led off the Falcon eighth with a single through the left side of the infield, and Hamm's sacrifice bunt moved her to second. But, a fly ball to right produced the second out, and Natham's scorcher to center was caught by Mitchiner to end the inning.
• Miller worked her second consecutive one-two-three inning in the ninth, and Loyola was hit by a pitch with one down in the bottom of the frame. But, pinch-runner Logan Everett was stranded at first after a strikeout and a fly ball to right.
• Samantha Malik singled to center to lead off the 10th inning, ending a string of eight-straight batters retired by Miller. But, the BG senior got Clowdus to hit a foul pop to Dyer at third, struck out Rodriguez for the second-straight time and got Mitchiner to ground out to second.
• Dyer led off the bottom of the 10th by walking on four pitches, and Alex Sorgi reached on a bunt, with Dyer going all the way to third as the throw to first was wild. But, it was ruled that the ball had hit Sorgi's foot while she was in the box, and the play was deemed a foul ball.
• Two pitches later, the senior speedster again beat out a bunt for a base hit, with Dyer taking second. Then, Hamm drew a walk to load the bases for McCoy.
• The BG junior took a pitch for a ball, then lined the next pitch back up the middle. Shortstop Malik fielded the ball near second base and fired home, but the throw was not in time to beat Dyer, who slid home ahead of the throw to give the Falcons the victory.
BGSU-AKRON GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons took an early lead in the second game, with a first-inning run. Alex Sorgi drew a leadoff walk, then stole second and third on back-to-back pitches. She came home on Hamm's grounder to the right side.
• McCoy singled through the right side and Natham walked, but Nikki Sorgi's drive was caught on the warning track in straightaway center, and a strikeout ended the inning.
• BG starter Brooke Parker walked Malik to begin the second inning, and Clowdus bunted her to second. Then, Crews put the ball in play for the first time all day after striking out four times in the opener.
• Crews' grounder was fielded by shortstop Gonzalez, however, who caught Malik in no-woman's land between second and third. The BG sophomore chased Malik back toward second and recorded the second out with a diving tag. And, Rodriguez hit a fly ball to center on the very next pitch for the third out.
• But, UA starter Mikayla Newland set down the Falcons in order in the bottom of the inning, striking out two, and the Zips took the lead in the third.
• With one out, Wulf singled and took second on an error, and Lakins singled up the middle to put runners at the corners. On a double-steal attempt, pinch-runner Madison Carter got herself in a rundown between first and second, but Wulf broke for home and beat the throw to tie the game.
• Then, a fielder's choice put runners at first and second, and another fielder's-choice grounder loaded the bases as Carter beat the BG throw to third.
• The next hitter, Malik, hit a grounder to Dyer, who fired home to force Cater for the second out of the inning. But, Clowdus hit a blooper to left that dropped in for a two-run single.
• The bottom of the third saw Alex Sorgi lead off with a single up the middle. Then, for the second time in the game, the senior stole both second and third, swiping the latter base with two down. But, a grounder to second ended the inning.
• And, Akron added to the lead in the fourth. Mitchiner singled with one out, but was erased on a Wulf fielder's choice. Lakins, however, doubled to left-center to score Wulf, and Holzman singled to put runners at the corners. Then, on a double-steal attempt, Lakins came home on a throwing error to give UA a 5-1 lead.
• Nikki Sorgi and Gonzalez each walked in the fourth, while McCoy and Natham each drew a base on balls in the fifth. McCoy's walk came after a 10-pitch plate appearance, and Newland then walked Natham on four-straight pitches. But, in each inning, the UA hurler got out of the jam that she created.
• Meanwhile, the Zips got a runner to third in the fifth, after a Clowdus double and a ground ball to the right side, but Parker struck out Rodriguez to end the inning.
• Parker worked around a two-out double by Lakins in the sixth, and BG again put two runners on base in the bottom of the inning. Gonzalez singled through the right side with two outs, and the soph continued on to second when an overzealous throw by rightfielder Crews nearly hit her in the head. Then, Dyer drew a walk, but Newland induced the next Falcon to hit a grounder back to the circle, throwing to first for out number three.
• Senior Kiley Sosby entered the circle for the Falcons in the seventh. She got Lauren Holdsworth to hit a fly ball to right, then got Malik to swing and miss at a 3-2 pitch. Sosby walked Clowdus, but responded with her second strikeout of the inning, blowing a 2-2 pitch past Crews.
• But, in the bottom of the inning, Newland got a pair of ground balls back to the circle, and third baseman Wulf made a nice catch of a foul pop to end the contest.
BGSU-AKRON STATS & LEADERS
• Akron outhit the Falcons, 6-5, in the opening game, as both starting pitchers were effective.
• Miller picked up the complete-game win, allowing two runs and six hits in 10 innings of work. She threw 94 of her 131 total pitches for strikes.
• After giving up the leadoff homer to Rodriguez in the fifth inning, Miller allowed only two more baserunners the rest of the way, retiring 18-of-20 Zips to finish out the game.
• Miller struck out nine Zips and did not walk or hit a batter.
• Smith pitched nearly as well in defeat. She allowed three runs and five hits in nine innings (plus four batters). She did walk five Falcons and hit one, while striking out four.
• The Falcons turned three of those five walks into runs, as all three BG runs were scored by a player who had drawn a base on balls.
• At the plate, Alex Sorgi had two hits for the home team, while Wulf had two hits for the visitors.
• Both Hamm and McCoy walked twice and scored a run for the Falcons, with McCoy also picking up the game-winning RBI.
• Nikki Sorgi drove in BG's other two runs with her first-inning single, while Gonzalez doubled and Natham singled for the Orange and Brown. Dyer walked to begin the 10th, before coming around to score the winning run.
• In game two, the Zips had nine hits to the Falcons' three. Newland picked up her second win of the year, allowing one run and just three hits in her complete-game effort.
• Newland did walk seven Falcons, but worked out of trouble all game long. She struck out five, and threw 61 balls and 69 strikes among her 130 pitches.
• Parker took the loss, allowing three earned runs in six innings. The senior was much more efficient with her pitches, throwing 62 of her 97 total pitches for strikes.
• Sosby worked a hitless seventh, walking one batter and striking out two.
• At the plate, Lakins was 3-for-3 with a walk and two doubles for the Zips, while Clowdus was 2-for-2 with a walk, a doubled and two RBI. Holzman also had two hits for the visitors.
• Alex Sorgi singled, walked, scored a run and stole a school record-tying four bases for the Falcons. McCoy and Gonzalez each walked and singled, while Natham walked twice.
• The Falcons left nine runners on base in each game, while the Zips had five runners left on base in the opener and nine in the nightcap.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons will wrap up the home portion of the schedule on Tuesday (April 30), as Cleveland State comes to Meserve Field for a doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. Admission is free for all BGSU home softball action.
• Then, BGSU concludes the 2019 campaign next Saturday (May 4), heading to Northeast Ohio for a doubleheader vs. Kent State.
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.
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The Zips rallied for a 5-1 win in game two as the teams split the Mid-American Conference doubleheader.
Senior Alex Sorgi tied the school record with four stolen bases in Saturday's second game. She now has a MAC-leading 29 steals this season to date.
The opening game marked the Falcons' longest contest, in terms of innings played, in over three years, and was BG's longest MAC game in over five seasons.
Sorgi had three hits in the twinbill, including a pair in the first game. Sophomore Sarah Gonzalez had a hit in each end of the doubleheader, including a double in the opener.
SENIOR DAY
• Saturday was Senior Day at Meserve Field, with the Falcons' seven seniors recognized in ceremonies prior to the opening game. That group includes Kali Holcomb, Meredith Miller, Kellie Natham, Brooke Parker, Kathleen Shier, Alex Sorgi and Kiley Sosby.
• All seven players saw action in at least one of Saturday's games.
A LITTLE SENIOR-DAY THIEVERY
• Senior Alex Sorgi tied the school record – a record she already shared – with four stolen bases in Saturday's second game. Sorgi also had four steals in a win over Mississippi Valley State last season (March 9, 2018).
• Single-game records are incomplete, but this much is known: no Falcon has ever stolen five bases in a game. Sorgi and Molly Holliday (April 2, 2015, vs. the school then known as IPFW) are the only two BGSU players with four steals in a game since 1994.
HIGHLIGHTS
FREE SOFTBALL
• Prior to Saturday's opener, the Falcons had not played a 10-inning game in over three years. BGSU and Michigan State went 10 innings on March 19, 2016, in a wild game won by the Spartans, 20-13.
• The Falcons' last MAC game to require a double-digit amount of innings came on April 6, 2014, when BGSU picked up a 9-5 win at Miami.
BGSU-AKRON GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Zips got on the board early in the opening game. Senior Meredith Miller struck out the first batter of the day, but Kayla Wulf doubled to left, and Laura Lakins reached on an infield single that put runners at the corners.
• Pinch-runner Sabria Bruton stole second, before Jessie Holzman hit a line drive to left. Sophomore Payton Hamm made the catch, and Wulf tagged up and headed home. It appeared as if Hamm's throw beat the runner to the plate, but Wulf was ruled safe, giving the Zips an early lead. Miller responded by getting Jordan Crews for her second strikeout of the inning.
• BG answered quickly, scoring twice in the bottom of the first. Hamm drew a one-out walk against Akron starter Adrian Smith, and junior Madi McCoy also walked after a 10-pitch at-bat in which she fouled off five pitches and worked her way back from a 1-2 count.
• Senior Kellie Natham's grounder to the right side moved the runners along, and sophomore Nikki Sorgi came through with a two-out, two-run single, as her flare fell in front of diving centerfielder Macky Mitchiner. Both Hamm and McCoy came around to score on the play.
• After each team found the scoreboard in the first inning, neither team would score again until the fifth. The Zips benefitted from a pair of BG errors in the second inning to put runners at second and third with two down, but Mitchiner's soft liner was grabbed by freshman Madeline Dyer at third.
• Wulf singled for the visitors in the third, and took second on a sac bunt, but Hamm made a nice diving catch on a fly ball by Holzman, before Miller struck out Crews for the second time.
• McCoy walked for the second time in as many plate appearances to give the Falcons a two-out baserunner in the third, but Smith got the third out.
• Miller retired the Zips in order in the fourth, but Smith returned the favor in the bottom of the inning. Then, Kimberly Rodriguez homered down the left-field line to begin the fifth inning, tying the game at 2-2.
• After the homer, neither team had a baserunner until Natham singled with two outs in the sixth. But, Smith got a popup on the very next pitch.
• Maddy Clowdus doubled with one out in the seventh, but pinch-runner Morgan Cadmus was gunned down by catcher Evelyn Loyola on a stolen-base attempt, and Miller struck out Rodriguez on three pitches.
• Sophomore Sarah Gonzalez doubled with two down in the home half of the seventh – BG's only extra-base hit in the twinbill – but Smith struck out the next batter to send the game to extra innings.
• Senior Alex Sorgi led off the Falcon eighth with a single through the left side of the infield, and Hamm's sacrifice bunt moved her to second. But, a fly ball to right produced the second out, and Natham's scorcher to center was caught by Mitchiner to end the inning.
• Miller worked her second consecutive one-two-three inning in the ninth, and Loyola was hit by a pitch with one down in the bottom of the frame. But, pinch-runner Logan Everett was stranded at first after a strikeout and a fly ball to right.
• Samantha Malik singled to center to lead off the 10th inning, ending a string of eight-straight batters retired by Miller. But, the BG senior got Clowdus to hit a foul pop to Dyer at third, struck out Rodriguez for the second-straight time and got Mitchiner to ground out to second.
• Dyer led off the bottom of the 10th by walking on four pitches, and Alex Sorgi reached on a bunt, with Dyer going all the way to third as the throw to first was wild. But, it was ruled that the ball had hit Sorgi's foot while she was in the box, and the play was deemed a foul ball.
• Two pitches later, the senior speedster again beat out a bunt for a base hit, with Dyer taking second. Then, Hamm drew a walk to load the bases for McCoy.
• The BG junior took a pitch for a ball, then lined the next pitch back up the middle. Shortstop Malik fielded the ball near second base and fired home, but the throw was not in time to beat Dyer, who slid home ahead of the throw to give the Falcons the victory.
BGSU-AKRON GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons took an early lead in the second game, with a first-inning run. Alex Sorgi drew a leadoff walk, then stole second and third on back-to-back pitches. She came home on Hamm's grounder to the right side.
• McCoy singled through the right side and Natham walked, but Nikki Sorgi's drive was caught on the warning track in straightaway center, and a strikeout ended the inning.
• BG starter Brooke Parker walked Malik to begin the second inning, and Clowdus bunted her to second. Then, Crews put the ball in play for the first time all day after striking out four times in the opener.
• Crews' grounder was fielded by shortstop Gonzalez, however, who caught Malik in no-woman's land between second and third. The BG sophomore chased Malik back toward second and recorded the second out with a diving tag. And, Rodriguez hit a fly ball to center on the very next pitch for the third out.
• But, UA starter Mikayla Newland set down the Falcons in order in the bottom of the inning, striking out two, and the Zips took the lead in the third.
• With one out, Wulf singled and took second on an error, and Lakins singled up the middle to put runners at the corners. On a double-steal attempt, pinch-runner Madison Carter got herself in a rundown between first and second, but Wulf broke for home and beat the throw to tie the game.
• Then, a fielder's choice put runners at first and second, and another fielder's-choice grounder loaded the bases as Carter beat the BG throw to third.
• The next hitter, Malik, hit a grounder to Dyer, who fired home to force Cater for the second out of the inning. But, Clowdus hit a blooper to left that dropped in for a two-run single.
• The bottom of the third saw Alex Sorgi lead off with a single up the middle. Then, for the second time in the game, the senior stole both second and third, swiping the latter base with two down. But, a grounder to second ended the inning.
• And, Akron added to the lead in the fourth. Mitchiner singled with one out, but was erased on a Wulf fielder's choice. Lakins, however, doubled to left-center to score Wulf, and Holzman singled to put runners at the corners. Then, on a double-steal attempt, Lakins came home on a throwing error to give UA a 5-1 lead.
• Nikki Sorgi and Gonzalez each walked in the fourth, while McCoy and Natham each drew a base on balls in the fifth. McCoy's walk came after a 10-pitch plate appearance, and Newland then walked Natham on four-straight pitches. But, in each inning, the UA hurler got out of the jam that she created.
• Meanwhile, the Zips got a runner to third in the fifth, after a Clowdus double and a ground ball to the right side, but Parker struck out Rodriguez to end the inning.
• Parker worked around a two-out double by Lakins in the sixth, and BG again put two runners on base in the bottom of the inning. Gonzalez singled through the right side with two outs, and the soph continued on to second when an overzealous throw by rightfielder Crews nearly hit her in the head. Then, Dyer drew a walk, but Newland induced the next Falcon to hit a grounder back to the circle, throwing to first for out number three.
• Senior Kiley Sosby entered the circle for the Falcons in the seventh. She got Lauren Holdsworth to hit a fly ball to right, then got Malik to swing and miss at a 3-2 pitch. Sosby walked Clowdus, but responded with her second strikeout of the inning, blowing a 2-2 pitch past Crews.
• But, in the bottom of the inning, Newland got a pair of ground balls back to the circle, and third baseman Wulf made a nice catch of a foul pop to end the contest.
BGSU-AKRON STATS & LEADERS
• Akron outhit the Falcons, 6-5, in the opening game, as both starting pitchers were effective.
• Miller picked up the complete-game win, allowing two runs and six hits in 10 innings of work. She threw 94 of her 131 total pitches for strikes.
• After giving up the leadoff homer to Rodriguez in the fifth inning, Miller allowed only two more baserunners the rest of the way, retiring 18-of-20 Zips to finish out the game.
• Miller struck out nine Zips and did not walk or hit a batter.
• Smith pitched nearly as well in defeat. She allowed three runs and five hits in nine innings (plus four batters). She did walk five Falcons and hit one, while striking out four.
• The Falcons turned three of those five walks into runs, as all three BG runs were scored by a player who had drawn a base on balls.
• At the plate, Alex Sorgi had two hits for the home team, while Wulf had two hits for the visitors.
• Both Hamm and McCoy walked twice and scored a run for the Falcons, with McCoy also picking up the game-winning RBI.
• Nikki Sorgi drove in BG's other two runs with her first-inning single, while Gonzalez doubled and Natham singled for the Orange and Brown. Dyer walked to begin the 10th, before coming around to score the winning run.
• In game two, the Zips had nine hits to the Falcons' three. Newland picked up her second win of the year, allowing one run and just three hits in her complete-game effort.
• Newland did walk seven Falcons, but worked out of trouble all game long. She struck out five, and threw 61 balls and 69 strikes among her 130 pitches.
• Parker took the loss, allowing three earned runs in six innings. The senior was much more efficient with her pitches, throwing 62 of her 97 total pitches for strikes.
• Sosby worked a hitless seventh, walking one batter and striking out two.
• At the plate, Lakins was 3-for-3 with a walk and two doubles for the Zips, while Clowdus was 2-for-2 with a walk, a doubled and two RBI. Holzman also had two hits for the visitors.
• Alex Sorgi singled, walked, scored a run and stole a school record-tying four bases for the Falcons. McCoy and Gonzalez each walked and singled, while Natham walked twice.
• The Falcons left nine runners on base in each game, while the Zips had five runners left on base in the opener and nine in the nightcap.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons will wrap up the home portion of the schedule on Tuesday (April 30), as Cleveland State comes to Meserve Field for a doubleheader that is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. Admission is free for all BGSU home softball action.
• Then, BGSU concludes the 2019 campaign next Saturday (May 4), heading to Northeast Ohio for a doubleheader vs. Kent State.
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.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Miller, Meredith (14-15)
L: Ad. Smith (8-12)
Batting:
2B: WULF, Kayla 1 ; CLOWDUS, Maddy 1
HR: RODRIGUEZ, Kimberly 1
RBI: HOLZMAN, Jessie 1 ; RODRIGUEZ, Kimberly 1
SH: LAKINS, Laura 1 ; CLOWDUS, Maddy 1
SF: HOLZMAN, Jessie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WULF, Kayla 1 ; RODRIGUEZ, Kimberly 1
SB: BRUTON, Sabria 1
CS: CADMUS, Morgan 1

Batting:
2B: Gonzalez, Sarah 1
RBI: McCoy, Madi 1 ; Sorgi, Nikki 2
SH: Hamm, Payton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hamm, Payton 1 ; McCoy, Madi 1 ; Dyer, Madeline 1
HBP: Loyola, Evelyn 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
Players Mentioned
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