Falcons Earn a Saturday Split in Raleigh

Saturday, February 26

Raleigh, N.C.

10:00 AM

Bowling Green State University

6-2

Central Connecticut State

0-7

Central Conn. State

Bowling Green

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

February 26, 2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 BGSU-CCSU Stats BGSU-UD Stats

Davies picks up first win of season; Williamson homers in both games

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

RALEIGH, N.C. – The Bowling Green State University softball team clubbed six homers on Saturday (Feb. 26), including four in the opening game. BGSU began day-two action at the NC State Invitational with a 10-2, run-rule win over Central Connecticut State University, before falling to the University of Delaware by a 5-3 count.

Reagan Williamson homered in both games on Saturday, and now has three round-trippers on the weekend and four on the season. BGSU had back-to-back homers in both Saturday contests.

In the opening game, the Falcons (now 6-3) were retired in order in the first inning, then scored in every other frame, walking it off in the sixth. That sixth inning saw BG score five runs on three homers.

BGSU-CCSU – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Hannah Davies worked around a pair of first-inning walks, retiring eight-straight Blue Devils after issuing her second free pass of that frame. Meanwhile, CCSU starter Kari Marks worked a one-two-three first inning, but BGSU would score in every inning thereafter.
• In the second, Reagan Williamson led off with a single, and after a wild pitch, Lexi Carver's sacrifice bunt sent pinch-runner Bre Cooper to third. Cooper would score on Payton Hamm's sac fly to right.
• The third inning saw Greta L'Esperance single up the middle with one out, then steal second and score on a Peyton Dolejs double. Bailey Sample was hit by a pitch, and with two outs, Carver singled to score Dolejs and give the Falcons a 3-0 lead.
• The Blue Devils got a run in the fourth, when a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases with one out, before Meg Dugas reached on an infield error. Davies, however, responded by striking out the next two hitters to end the frame.
• And, in the bottom of the inning, BG got that run right back. Sarah Gonzalez led off by reaching on an error, and after an Ally Bezjak sac bunt, Gonzalez would score on a L'Esperance sac fly to right.
• In the fifth, CCSU got a leadoff double from Meg Gorman and a one-out RBI single by Paige Stringer. Kiara Hurley came on in relief, striking out the first hitter she faced. She did allow a single, with the runners moving up on the throw. But, with the tying run at second, Hurley got an inning-ending popup to Gonzalez at third.
• The Falcons, in the person of Williamson, responded in the bottom of the inning. Williamson homered to right to give BGSU a three-run lead once again. BG would load the bases as Carver singled, Hamm reached on an error and Gonzalez walked, before the Blue Devils got out of the jam.
• In the sixth, though, BGSU exploded for five runs to end the game early.. L'Esperance led off with a single and promptly stole second. She then trotted home as Dolejs homered to left-center.
• Kaylee Whittaker replaced Marks in the circle, and was greeted by a Sample homer – the first round-tripper of Sample's young career. After a foul fly produced the first out, Carver walked, and Hamm's two-run blast ended the game.

BGSU-UD – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Delaware scored twice in each of the first two innings to take an early lead. In the first inning, Hanna Garber led off with a triple and scored on Brooke Glanden's sac fly. Then, Brittney Mendoza homered to give the Blue Hens a 2-0 lead.
• BGSU got a runner as far as third base in the second inning. After Williamson singled, Carver bunted pinch-runner Cooper to second base, and Cooper wound up at third after an error. But, UD starter Kailey Christian got the next two Falcons to hit infield popups and end the frame.
• Morgan Olynyk walked to lead off the bottom of the second, and Grace Hrustich followed with a homer that doubled the Blue Hens' lead. Following a one-out single, BGSU starter Payton Gottshall retired the next eight UD batters in a row.
• BG got a pair of runners in the third, as Marlie McNulty walked and L'Esperance reached on a bunt single, but Christian and UD got out of the inning. In the fourth, however, they would not be so lucky.
• That fourth frame saw Sample walk, before Williamson unloaded on a pitch that landed beyond the wall in left. Megan Stauffer entered the circle, and was greeted by a Carver homer to center. After Hamm singled, Emily Winburn entered the game, and the UD hurler was able to strike out the next two hitters.
• Hanna Garber led off the bottom of the fifth with a homer that gave the Blue Hens a 5-3 lead, and UD proceeded to load the bases on a pair of walks and a single, but Gottshall struck out back-to-back batters to escape the jam.
• Winburn allowed a two-out single to Gonzalez in the sixth, but struck out the next Falcon, then worked around an infield error to close out the victory in the seventh.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons conclude play in the NC State Invitational with one game on Sunday (Feb. 27), as BGSU will face Central Connecticut State. Due to inclement weather, that game – originally set for 10:00 a.m. – has been moved to a 12:30 p.m. start.
• Then, the Orange and Brown will prepare for next weekend's (March 4-6) UE Softball Invitational in Evansville, Ind. The Falcons' opponents in that tourney will include Oakland, Creighton, Green Bay, Morehead State and Evansville.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS
For more information on 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.