BGSU Bounces Back to Beat Bluejays, 4-1

Friday, March 4

Evansville, Ind.

10:00 AM

Bowling Green State University

6-4

Oakland

3-4

Bowling Green

Oakland

Sarah Gonzalez homered in the Falcons' win over Creighton

Photo by: Mallory Hiser, BGSU Athletics

March 04, 2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 BGSU-Oakland Stats BGSU-Creighton Stats UE Invitational Support Our Student-Athletes

Falcons go 1-1 on day one in Evansville

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Payton Gottshall struck out 10, and Peyton Dolejs and Sarah Gonzalez came through with key hits as the Bowling Green State University softball team picked up a 4-1 win over Creighton University on Friday (March 4). The win, part of day-one action at the UE Softball Invitational, was held at Cooper Stadium.

In the opener, Oakland University's Sydney Campbell quieted the BG bats as the Golden Grizzlies won, 6-0.

While the Falcons (now 7-4) had difficulty generating rallies in the first game, the basepaths were busy in the second contest. BG put two runners aboard in each of the first three innings against Creighton starter Mikayla Santa Cruz, before finally breaking through in the fourth.

That fourth frame saw Lexi Carver and Gonzalez record back-to-back hits with one out. Santa Cruz responded with a strikeout for the second out, but Greta L'Esperance walked to load the bases before Dolejs unloaded them with a base hit.

Gonzalez led off the bottom of the sixth with a homer to give the Orange and Brown a three-run lead.

The first game saw Campbell take a perfect game into the sixth before Ally Bezjak and L'Esperance each singled. The Golden Grizzlies, picked to win the Horizon League title in 2022, scored a run in the second inning, two in the fourth and three in the sixth.

BGSU-OU – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Oakland's Sydney Campbell retired the first 16 batters she faced before Ally Bezjak singled with one out in the sixth inning. Greta L'Esperance reached on a bunt single with two down, but Campbell was able to get an inning-ending ground ball to short, then retired the side in order in the seventh.
• The Golden Grizzlies got an unearned run against Kiara Hurley in the second inning. After a walk, an infield error and Arianna Grammatico's single loaded the bases with no outs, a ground ball resulted in a force play at the plate, but an errant throw allowed Jessie Munson to score. Hurley then retired the next two hitters to avoid further damage.
• Hurley set down six in a row before Munson singled with one out in the fourth. Then, Jen Krizka homered down the left-field line to give OU a three-run lead.
• OU completed the scoring in the sixth. With one out, Maci Brown and Madison Jones each singled before Cammie Brummitt homered to double her team's lead.
• That run support was more than enough for Campball, who faced just two batters over the minimum. She struck out seven and did not issue a walk in her complete-game two-hitter.

BGSU-CU – HOW IT HAPPENED
• In the Falcons' second game of the day, Creighton's Cayla Nielsen gave her team an early lead with a one-out homer in the top of the first. But, that would prove to be the only run allowed by Payton Gottshall.
• The Bluejays got a bunt single to begin the second inning, but Gottshall struck out the next three hitters. In the third, Gottshall retired the side on just three pitches, and in the fourth, a leadoff walk was followed by a double play by the BG defense.
• The Falcons put two runners on base in the first, on a Bailey Sample walk and a Reagan Williamson single with two down, but CU starter Mikayla Santa Cruz ended the threat with a strikeout.
• BG got singles by Lexi Carver and Ally Bezjak in the second, and when pinch-runner Bre Cooper stole second, the Falcons had two runners in scoring position. But, Santa Cruz was able to glove a liner by L'Esperance for the third out.
• A Peyton Dolejs walk in the third inning was followed by a Williamson double two outs later, but again, Santa Cruz kept BG off the board. In the fourth, though, her luck ran out.
• That inning saw Carver and Sarah Gonzalez each single with one out. Santa Cruz struck out the next Falcon, but L'Esperance walked and, with the runners going, a single by Dolejs allowed all three to score.
• In the sixth, Gonzalez drove a Santa Cruz pitch fo left-center for a homer and a 4-1 lead.
• Gottshall had retired the side in order in the fifth. She gave up leadoff hits in both the sixth and seventh frames, but retired the next three Bluejays in each case.
• Gottshall picked up the complete-game win to improve to 4-2 on the young season. She allowed four hits, walking one batter while striking out 10.
• At the plate, Carver, Gonzalez and Williamson all went 2-for-3, with Gonzalez homering and scoring two runs. Carver scored a run as well in the win.
• Dolejs was 1-for-3 with a walk and the three-run single, and Bezjak had a hit in two at-bats.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons will return to Cooper Stadium on Saturday (March 5), facing Green Bay in a game scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
• Then, on Sunday (March 6), BG plays a pair of games to conclude the UE Softball Invitational. The Orange and Brown will meet Morehead State at 3:00 p.m. ET before facing host Evansville at 5:30 p.m. ET.

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.