Tuesday, March 29
Ann Arbor, Mich.
4:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
14-9
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#22/23 Michigan
19-9
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5
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7
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H
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Bowling Green
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Michigan
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8
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Photo by: Chad Huffman, BGSU Athletics
Falcons Fall at No. 22/23 Michigan
March 29, 2022 | Softball
BGSU back in action at Meserve this weekend
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Bowling Green State University softball team fell, 3-0, to nationally-ranked University of Michigan on Tuesday (March 29) afternoon at Alumni Field.
The Wolverines (19-9), ranked 22nd in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and 23rd in the USA Today/NFCA poll, scored single runs in the second, third and fifth innings, and that was enough for U-M starting pitcher Alex Storako.
Storako, the Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Year and a second-team All-American in 2021, faced just one batter over the minimum, firing a one-hitter against the Falcons (14-9).
Greta L'Esperance led off the fourth inning with a hit, and stole her team-leading 16th base of the season, but that was the only offense the Falcons could muster.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• BGSU starting pitcher Payton Gottshall worked out of a first-inning jam after Lexie Blair led off with a bunt single and Sierra Kersten drew a walk. Gottshall struck out Kristina Burkhardt before inducing back-to-back popups to shortstop Bailey Sample.
• Gottshall retired five-straight hitters, including three by strikeout, before Ellie Sieler homered with two outs in the second to give the hosts the lead.
• Greta L'Esperance made a nice running catch of Blair's drive to deep center in the third, as the speedy Falcon made the grab before crashing into the wall. Gottshall struck out the next hitter, but Burkhardt hit a ball into the right-field corner for a triple and continued home on a throwing error.
• The Wolverines loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on a pair of singles and a walk, but Gottshall whiffed both Blair and Kersten to escape the jam.
• In the fifth, the hosts plated a run as Burkhardt singled, stole second and came home on a Lauren Esman base hit.
• Sydney Stepp pitched a scoreless sixth inning, throwing eight of her 11 pitches for strikes. But, Alex Storako set down the Falcons in order in the seventh to close out the win.
STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• BGSU's lone baserunner of the game came on a L'Esperance bunt single in the fourth. She stole her 16th base of the season, but was stranded at second.
• Storako picked up the victory for the Wolverines to improve to 14-2 on the year. She struck out 17 and did not walk a batter.
• The Falcons made Storako work for many of those outs. She threw 112 pitches in the game, including 42 over the first two innings. In particular, Lexi Carver gave the U-M hurler a battle, fouling off a total of 12 pitches – including 10 in a row – as part of a 15-pitch at-bat in the second inning.
• Michigan had a total of eight hits, with Burkhardt, Esman and Sieler each going 2-for-3. Burkhardt scored two of the game's three runs.
• Gottshall took the loss, allowing seven hits and three runs (two earned) in five innings of work. She walked three batters and struck out seven.
• Stepp pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.Â
UP NEXT
• The Falcons return home for a three-game weekend series with the arch-rival University of Toledo at Meserve Field. BGSU is slated to face the Rockets in a Friday (April 1) single game, beginning at 3:00 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (April 2). All three games are slated to be televised via BCSN in the Toledo area.
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.
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The Wolverines (19-9), ranked 22nd in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and 23rd in the USA Today/NFCA poll, scored single runs in the second, third and fifth innings, and that was enough for U-M starting pitcher Alex Storako.
Storako, the Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Year and a second-team All-American in 2021, faced just one batter over the minimum, firing a one-hitter against the Falcons (14-9).
Greta L'Esperance led off the fourth inning with a hit, and stole her team-leading 16th base of the season, but that was the only offense the Falcons could muster.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• BGSU starting pitcher Payton Gottshall worked out of a first-inning jam after Lexie Blair led off with a bunt single and Sierra Kersten drew a walk. Gottshall struck out Kristina Burkhardt before inducing back-to-back popups to shortstop Bailey Sample.
• Gottshall retired five-straight hitters, including three by strikeout, before Ellie Sieler homered with two outs in the second to give the hosts the lead.
• Greta L'Esperance made a nice running catch of Blair's drive to deep center in the third, as the speedy Falcon made the grab before crashing into the wall. Gottshall struck out the next hitter, but Burkhardt hit a ball into the right-field corner for a triple and continued home on a throwing error.
• The Wolverines loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on a pair of singles and a walk, but Gottshall whiffed both Blair and Kersten to escape the jam.
• In the fifth, the hosts plated a run as Burkhardt singled, stole second and came home on a Lauren Esman base hit.
• Sydney Stepp pitched a scoreless sixth inning, throwing eight of her 11 pitches for strikes. But, Alex Storako set down the Falcons in order in the seventh to close out the win.
STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• BGSU's lone baserunner of the game came on a L'Esperance bunt single in the fourth. She stole her 16th base of the season, but was stranded at second.
• Storako picked up the victory for the Wolverines to improve to 14-2 on the year. She struck out 17 and did not walk a batter.
• The Falcons made Storako work for many of those outs. She threw 112 pitches in the game, including 42 over the first two innings. In particular, Lexi Carver gave the U-M hurler a battle, fouling off a total of 12 pitches – including 10 in a row – as part of a 15-pitch at-bat in the second inning.
• Michigan had a total of eight hits, with Burkhardt, Esman and Sieler each going 2-for-3. Burkhardt scored two of the game's three runs.
• Gottshall took the loss, allowing seven hits and three runs (two earned) in five innings of work. She walked three batters and struck out seven.
• Stepp pitched a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.Â
UP NEXT
• The Falcons return home for a three-game weekend series with the arch-rival University of Toledo at Meserve Field. BGSU is slated to face the Rockets in a Friday (April 1) single game, beginning at 3:00 p.m., followed by a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (April 2). All three games are slated to be televised via BCSN in the Toledo area.
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.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Storako, Alex (14-2)
L: Gottshall, Payton (9-6)
Base Running:
SB: L'Esperance, Greta 1
Batting:
3B: Burkhardt, Kristina 1
HR: Sieler, Ellie 1
RBI: Esman, Lauren 1 ; Sieler, Ellie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burkhardt, Kristina 2 ; Sieler, Ellie 1
SB: Burkhardt, Kristina 1
HBP: Blair, Lexie 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/IF
/ Softball
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/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballIF
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