Saturday, May 1
Bowling Green, Ohio
1:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
20-24, 12-17
9
vs
14
Miami
35-7, 25-1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Miami
6
0
0
0
5
0
3
14
10
1
Bowling Green
2
0
0
0
4
3
0
9
8
3
Greta L'Esperance is mobbed by her teammates after her walk-off single scored Makailah Dees (18)
Photo by: Larry Clapper
Falcons Walk It Off Against League-Leading Miami
May 01, 2021 | Softball
BGSU scores nine runs in opening game of Saturday split
Greta L'Esperance singled to score pinch-runner Makailah Dees as the Bowling Green State University softball team posted a walk-off win against league-leading Miami Saturday afternoon (May 1) at Meserve Field.
Logan Everett had begun the seventh inning with a pinch-hit double, and a Sarah Gonzalez ground ball moved Everett to third. Pinch-hitter Payton Hamm was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners, and L'Esperance then followed with her walk-off hit.
Payton Gottshall earned the complete-game win for the Falcons (21-24, 13-17 Mid-American Conference), allowing just two hits and striking out nine. In the process, Gottshall set the school single-season strikeouts record.
The RedHawks (35-8, 25-2 MAC) won the opener, 14-9, despite an Evelyn Loyola grand slam and a Madi McCoy three-run homer.
FUN FALCON FACTS
• Payton Gottshall struck out nine batters in Saturday's second game, and now has 239 strikeouts this season, a new school record. Gottshall struck out the side in the sixth inning, in the process breaking the old single-season record of 237 strikeouts, set by BGSU Hall-of-Famer Liz Vrabel.
• Miami, now 25-2 in Mid-American Conference play, had not been held to fewer than two runs in 24 league games prior to this weekend. But, Gottshall has held the RedHawks to one run in each of her two starts in the series.
• BGSU is also the first MAC team to as many as nine runs in a game against the RedHawks this season. MU had allowed seven runs against Ball State back on April 20.
• Madi McCoy hit a three-run homer in Saturday's first game, and now has seven round-trippers on the season, including three this week. She had a two-homer game in BGSU's midweek doubleheader vs. Toledo.
• Evelyn Loyola hit a grand slam in Saturday's first game, becoming the first Falcon to hit a grand slam since ... Evelyn Loyola on March 16, 2019. On that day, Loyola had a total of six RBI in a 21-0 win over St. Bonaventure.
• Peyton Dolejs had two hits in each game, driving in two runs in the opener. In the second game, she had a triple and a single, and made two spectacular catches in right field.
QUOTING COACH WILLIS
"I am proud of our program for the fight and grit they showed today. In the first game, we showed a lot of fight offensively, and it was great to see so many players contribute. We were close to getting run-ruled when the top of the order got the offense going and Evelyn Loyola came up big with a grand slam. If we could have minimized the errors and the extra opportunities we gave Miami, we would have found ourselves on the other end of that game."
"Game two was a fun game and our players had such great energy. We were able to jump on the board early with (Peyton) Dolejs coming up big with a triple down the right-field line. (Sarah) Gonzalez put together a good at-bat and drove the ball back up the middle to put us first on the board. When Miami came back to tie us up, our players continued to compete at the plate. Logan Everett came up big for us, leading off with a double, and again, Gonzalez found a way and hit behind the runner so we could move Everett to third. It was great fundamental softball in that moment and put us in position to score the run we needed. (Greta) L'Esperance did a great job reading the defense and singled up the middle to avoid the slap defense shift."
"It was a great offensive performance by our Falcons that showed selflessness and execution. That is how you win a close ball game!
"Last but not least, Payton Gottshall was lights out for us, and her focus was the best I have seen from her this year. She was smart and calculating with her pitches and the icing on the cake was her solidifying the single-season strike out record. The defense played out of their minds behind her. Dolejs had two amazing grabs in right field that helped to take away potential momentum. Again, great defensive execution from our players."
BGSU-MIAMI GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Game one was a wild affair that saw each team put crooked numbers on the board in three of the seven innings.
• The RedHawks jumped on top with six runs in the first inning, with four hits, four walks and a BG error in the inning. Eight-straight Miami batters reached base after Karlee Juarez opened the game with a popup to second, and Juarez ended the inning by popping up into a double play.
• BG scored twice in the bottom of the first, as Greta L'Esperance and Sammy Dees each singled before Evelyn Loyola reached on a two-out error. Peyton Dolejs followed with a two-run single.
• After the teams had combined for one run and seven hits in Friday's game (a 1-0 Miami win), the Falcons and RedHawks combined for eight runs and seven hits in the first inning alone on Saturday.
• Neither team scored again until the fifth, and the teams combined for nine runs in that frame. Miami scored five times in the top of the inning to take an 11-2 lead. Allie Cummins hit a three-run homer in that frame.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Taylor Turner relieved starter Courtney Vierstra in the circle for the RedHawks, and got L'Esperance to line out. Then, however, Sammy Dees was hit by a pitch, and Madi McCoy walked. Nikki Sorgi drew a walk as well, loading the bases, and Loyola followed with a grand slam to left. Vierstra returned to the contest, and Dolejs singled and Logan Everett was hit by a pitch, but the MU starter/reliever was able to get out of the inning.
• In the bottom of the sixth, BGSU narrowed the gap some more. L'Esperance walked and Sammy Dees singled, and McCoy then clubbed the first pitch she saw over the center-field wall to cut MU's lead to 11-9.
• But, the RedHawks got some insurance in the top of the seventh, as Cummins hit a two-run homer and Mackenzie Moore's bloop single plated another run. Vierstra retired the Falcons in the seventh to close out the win.
• MU had a 10-8 advantage in hits in the opener, with Karli Spaid and Cummins picking up two apiece.
• Sammy Dees had two hits and scored three runs, while McCoy, like Dees, was 2-for-3. McCoy drove in three runs, while Peyton Dolejs was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
• Vierstra picked up the win for MU, allowing five runs (three earned) and seven hits in five-and-two-thirds innings.
• Sydney Stepp took the loss for the Falcons. Hannah Davies pitched the final 6 2/3 innings in relief, allowing four earned runs.
BGSU-MIAMI GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Payton Gottshall allowed just two hits in Saturday's second game, walking four batters and striking out nine to improve to 15-9 on the season.
• BGSU broke on top in the second inning. Dolejs hit a frozen rope to right, and the ball landed just inside the foul line and went all the way to the wall for a one-out triple. Miami hurler Brianna Pratt struck out the next Falcon, but Sarah Gonzalez came through by lining a ball up the middle for a run-scoring single.
• But, MU came right back in the top of the third. Dolejs made a great diving catch to rob Lily WIlmot of extra bases to begin the inning, but with two outs, Juarez homered to right to tie the game.
• BG had a chance to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning. McCoy singled and Sorgi walked with two outs, and Loyola followed with a base hit, but an out at the plate ended the frame.
• Gottshall issued three walks over the next two frames, but kept the visitors off of the scoreboard.  But, Pratt worked around a Dolejs leadoff single in the fourth and a two-out hit off the bat of Sammy Dees in the fifth.
• In the sixth, Gottshall struck out the side, but another Sorgi walk was all BG could muster in the bottom of the inning.
• Moore doubled with one out in the seventh, as a few raindrops began to fall, but Gottshall struck out pinch-hitter Maclai Branson before a charging Dolejs made a diving catch of a Morgan Lott fly ball to shallow right.
• Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Logan Everett led off the inning with a pinch-hit double down the right-field line and into the corner. Gonzales fouled off three Pratt pitches before hitting a grounder to the right side that allowed Everett to take third.
• With pinch-runner Makailah Dees now in the game for Everett, Payton Hamm was hit by a pitch, putting runners at the corners. L'Esperance followed by lining a single past second baseman Spaid, allowing Dees to trot home with the winning run.
• Dolejs was the lone player with two hits in the game, as BG outhit Miami, 8-2. Sorgi walked twice in three plate appearances.
• Gottshall picked up the complete-game win, alllowing just one earned run and two hits. She walked four batters and struck out nine.
• Pratt took the loss for the RedHawks, allowing eight hits while walking three and striking out three.
• Gottshall threw 114 pitches and Pratt 109 in the game.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons and RedHawks conclude their weekend series with a Sunday (May 2) game at Meserve Field, with first pitch at 12:00 p.m. Sunday will be Senior Day for the Falcons, with ceremonies prior to the contest.
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.
HASHTAG
#AyZiggy
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Logan Everett had begun the seventh inning with a pinch-hit double, and a Sarah Gonzalez ground ball moved Everett to third. Pinch-hitter Payton Hamm was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners, and L'Esperance then followed with her walk-off hit.
Payton Gottshall earned the complete-game win for the Falcons (21-24, 13-17 Mid-American Conference), allowing just two hits and striking out nine. In the process, Gottshall set the school single-season strikeouts record.
The RedHawks (35-8, 25-2 MAC) won the opener, 14-9, despite an Evelyn Loyola grand slam and a Madi McCoy three-run homer.
FUN FALCON FACTS
• Payton Gottshall struck out nine batters in Saturday's second game, and now has 239 strikeouts this season, a new school record. Gottshall struck out the side in the sixth inning, in the process breaking the old single-season record of 237 strikeouts, set by BGSU Hall-of-Famer Liz Vrabel.
• Miami, now 25-2 in Mid-American Conference play, had not been held to fewer than two runs in 24 league games prior to this weekend. But, Gottshall has held the RedHawks to one run in each of her two starts in the series.
• BGSU is also the first MAC team to as many as nine runs in a game against the RedHawks this season. MU had allowed seven runs against Ball State back on April 20.
• Madi McCoy hit a three-run homer in Saturday's first game, and now has seven round-trippers on the season, including three this week. She had a two-homer game in BGSU's midweek doubleheader vs. Toledo.
• Evelyn Loyola hit a grand slam in Saturday's first game, becoming the first Falcon to hit a grand slam since ... Evelyn Loyola on March 16, 2019. On that day, Loyola had a total of six RBI in a 21-0 win over St. Bonaventure.
• Peyton Dolejs had two hits in each game, driving in two runs in the opener. In the second game, she had a triple and a single, and made two spectacular catches in right field.
QUOTING COACH WILLIS
"I am proud of our program for the fight and grit they showed today. In the first game, we showed a lot of fight offensively, and it was great to see so many players contribute. We were close to getting run-ruled when the top of the order got the offense going and Evelyn Loyola came up big with a grand slam. If we could have minimized the errors and the extra opportunities we gave Miami, we would have found ourselves on the other end of that game."
"Game two was a fun game and our players had such great energy. We were able to jump on the board early with (Peyton) Dolejs coming up big with a triple down the right-field line. (Sarah) Gonzalez put together a good at-bat and drove the ball back up the middle to put us first on the board. When Miami came back to tie us up, our players continued to compete at the plate. Logan Everett came up big for us, leading off with a double, and again, Gonzalez found a way and hit behind the runner so we could move Everett to third. It was great fundamental softball in that moment and put us in position to score the run we needed. (Greta) L'Esperance did a great job reading the defense and singled up the middle to avoid the slap defense shift."
"It was a great offensive performance by our Falcons that showed selflessness and execution. That is how you win a close ball game!
"Last but not least, Payton Gottshall was lights out for us, and her focus was the best I have seen from her this year. She was smart and calculating with her pitches and the icing on the cake was her solidifying the single-season strike out record. The defense played out of their minds behind her. Dolejs had two amazing grabs in right field that helped to take away potential momentum. Again, great defensive execution from our players."
BGSU-MIAMI GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Game one was a wild affair that saw each team put crooked numbers on the board in three of the seven innings.
• The RedHawks jumped on top with six runs in the first inning, with four hits, four walks and a BG error in the inning. Eight-straight Miami batters reached base after Karlee Juarez opened the game with a popup to second, and Juarez ended the inning by popping up into a double play.
• BG scored twice in the bottom of the first, as Greta L'Esperance and Sammy Dees each singled before Evelyn Loyola reached on a two-out error. Peyton Dolejs followed with a two-run single.
• After the teams had combined for one run and seven hits in Friday's game (a 1-0 Miami win), the Falcons and RedHawks combined for eight runs and seven hits in the first inning alone on Saturday.
• Neither team scored again until the fifth, and the teams combined for nine runs in that frame. Miami scored five times in the top of the inning to take an 11-2 lead. Allie Cummins hit a three-run homer in that frame.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Taylor Turner relieved starter Courtney Vierstra in the circle for the RedHawks, and got L'Esperance to line out. Then, however, Sammy Dees was hit by a pitch, and Madi McCoy walked. Nikki Sorgi drew a walk as well, loading the bases, and Loyola followed with a grand slam to left. Vierstra returned to the contest, and Dolejs singled and Logan Everett was hit by a pitch, but the MU starter/reliever was able to get out of the inning.
• In the bottom of the sixth, BGSU narrowed the gap some more. L'Esperance walked and Sammy Dees singled, and McCoy then clubbed the first pitch she saw over the center-field wall to cut MU's lead to 11-9.
• But, the RedHawks got some insurance in the top of the seventh, as Cummins hit a two-run homer and Mackenzie Moore's bloop single plated another run. Vierstra retired the Falcons in the seventh to close out the win.
• MU had a 10-8 advantage in hits in the opener, with Karli Spaid and Cummins picking up two apiece.
• Sammy Dees had two hits and scored three runs, while McCoy, like Dees, was 2-for-3. McCoy drove in three runs, while Peyton Dolejs was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
• Vierstra picked up the win for MU, allowing five runs (three earned) and seven hits in five-and-two-thirds innings.
• Sydney Stepp took the loss for the Falcons. Hannah Davies pitched the final 6 2/3 innings in relief, allowing four earned runs.
BGSU-MIAMI GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Payton Gottshall allowed just two hits in Saturday's second game, walking four batters and striking out nine to improve to 15-9 on the season.
• BGSU broke on top in the second inning. Dolejs hit a frozen rope to right, and the ball landed just inside the foul line and went all the way to the wall for a one-out triple. Miami hurler Brianna Pratt struck out the next Falcon, but Sarah Gonzalez came through by lining a ball up the middle for a run-scoring single.
• But, MU came right back in the top of the third. Dolejs made a great diving catch to rob Lily WIlmot of extra bases to begin the inning, but with two outs, Juarez homered to right to tie the game.
• BG had a chance to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning. McCoy singled and Sorgi walked with two outs, and Loyola followed with a base hit, but an out at the plate ended the frame.
• Gottshall issued three walks over the next two frames, but kept the visitors off of the scoreboard.  But, Pratt worked around a Dolejs leadoff single in the fourth and a two-out hit off the bat of Sammy Dees in the fifth.
• In the sixth, Gottshall struck out the side, but another Sorgi walk was all BG could muster in the bottom of the inning.
• Moore doubled with one out in the seventh, as a few raindrops began to fall, but Gottshall struck out pinch-hitter Maclai Branson before a charging Dolejs made a diving catch of a Morgan Lott fly ball to shallow right.
• Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Logan Everett led off the inning with a pinch-hit double down the right-field line and into the corner. Gonzales fouled off three Pratt pitches before hitting a grounder to the right side that allowed Everett to take third.
• With pinch-runner Makailah Dees now in the game for Everett, Payton Hamm was hit by a pitch, putting runners at the corners. L'Esperance followed by lining a single past second baseman Spaid, allowing Dees to trot home with the winning run.
• Dolejs was the lone player with two hits in the game, as BG outhit Miami, 8-2. Sorgi walked twice in three plate appearances.
• Gottshall picked up the complete-game win, alllowing just one earned run and two hits. She walked four batters and struck out nine.
• Pratt took the loss for the RedHawks, allowing eight hits while walking three and striking out three.
• Gottshall threw 114 pitches and Pratt 109 in the game.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons and RedHawks conclude their weekend series with a Sunday (May 2) game at Meserve Field, with first pitch at 12:00 p.m. Sunday will be Senior Day for the Falcons, with ceremonies prior to the contest.
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.
HASHTAG
#AyZiggy
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: VIERSTRA, C. (20-3)
L: Stepp, Sydney (1-4)
Batting:
HR: SPAID, Karli 1 ; CUMMINS, A. 2
RBI: SPAID, Karli 1 ; CUMMINS, A. 5 ; MOORE, M. 1 ; COYNE, Riley 2 ; LOTT, Morgan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: JUAREZ, K. 1 ; SPAID, Karli 3 ; CUMMINS, A. 3 ; BARLOW, A. 2 ; BLASKA, H. 1 ; MOORE, M. 1 ; DOTSON, Jada 2 ; LOTT, Morgan 1
SB: SPAID, Karli 2 ; CUMMINS, A. 1 ; BLASKA, H. 1 ; DOTSON, Jada 1
HBP: SPAID, Karli 1
Batting:
HR: McCoy, Madi 1 ; Loyola, Evelyn 1
RBI: McCoy, Madi 3 ; Loyola, Evelyn 4 ; Dolejs, Peyton 2
Base Running:
RUNS: L'Esperance, Greta 2 ; Dees, Sammy 3 ; McCoy, Madi 1 ; Dees, Makailah 1 ; Sorgi, Nikki 1 ; Loyola, Evelyn 1
HBP: Dees, Sammy 1 ; Everett, Logan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
3
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballSS/2B
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballIF/OF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballSS
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
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