Hendrix Homer Helps Falcons Ground Eagles, 5-2

Sunday, March 6

Evansville, Ind.

3:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

9-4

Morehead State

0-13

Morehead State

Bowling Green

Madison Hendrix - March 6 2022 at Evansville

Madison Hendrix hit her first collegiate homer, a three-run shot, in the win over Morehead State

Photo by: Evansville Athletics

March 06, 2022 | Softball

Box Score BGSU-MSU Stats Support Our Student-Athletes

BGSU-UE game is washed away with Falcons leading in the fifth

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Madison Hendrix's first collegiate homer broke a 1-1 tie and lifted the Bowling Green State University softball team to a 5-2 win over Morehead State Sunday afternoon (March 6). The game, part of the UE Softball Invitational, was held at Cooper Stadium.

The Falcons' second game of the day was halted due to rain and lightning in the fifth inning, and was declared a no-contest. BGSU held a 2-0 lead over host Evansville and had the bases loaded with no outs when the game was stopped.

Hannah Davies picked up the win vs. MSU, allowing five hits and striking out a career-high nine batters. Kiara Hurley came on to get the final out of the game, picking up a save.

Hendrix, making her first start of the season and just the second of her career, unloaded on a Maya Morris pitch with two outs in the fourth. The three-run blast gave the Falcons (9-4) a three-run advantage. It was not only her first homer; it was her first career hit as a Falcon.

NOTEWORTHY
• BGSU's Payton Gottshall threw a perfect game against Green Bay on Saturday (March 5), striking out all 15 batters she faced in the Falcons' run-rule win.
• On Sunday, Gottshall had thrown four innings of no-hit ball vs. Evansville, facing just one batter over the minimum and striking out seven. But, none of the statistics from the UE game will count.

QUOTING COACH WILLIS
"The team picked up their focus and momentum by the end of the weekend. It was great to see them come together and bounce back from a disappointing performance in our opening game. The weather cut us short before we could make a complete game against Evansville and we were in a great position with bases loaded, no outs, and right back at the top of the lineup. We will be looking to carry over that momentum into a competitive next weekend at Lipscomb."

BGSU-MSU – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Morehead State scored an early run, taking a lead just three batters into the game. Ieesha Christian led off the game with an infield single, and after Hannah Davies struck out the next hitter, Christian stole second and came home on a double by Peyton Slater. Slater took third on the play, but Davies kept her there, striking out the next two Eagles.
• And, just two batters into the bottom half of the inning, BGSU had tied the score. Greta L'Esperance led off with a walk and promptly stole second. She took third on a wild pitch by Maya Morris, then scored easily on a Peyton Dolejs triple.
• Davies retired eight-straight MSU hitters, setting down the Eagles in order in both the second and third frames. BG got singles from Sophie Weber and L'Esperance in the home third, but could not break the tie.
• In the fourth, however, the Falcons indeed broke that deadlock, taking the lead for good. Reagan Williamson drew a one-out walk, and Lexi Carver bunted pinch-runner Marlie McNulty to second. Payton Hamm drew a base on balls as well, and Madison Hendrix then proceeded to hit her first collegiate homer, with McNulty and Hamm trotting home ahead of her.
• Madi Ogden and Trinity Spear each had infield hits in the fifth, putting two runners on with just one out, but Davies would whiff the next two Eagles to end that threat.
• BGSU added to the lead in the sixth, as Hamm led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch, then advanced to third on a passed ball. She would score on a two-out single by Wynnie Reid.
• MSU loaded the bases in the seventh on a hit-by-pitch and two-out walks to Spear and Christian. Then, Ilencia Lightbody reached on an infield single that plated a run. Kiara Hurley entered the circle and got Slater to ground out, ending the contest and picking up the save.

BGSU-UE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• Starting pitchers Payton Gottshall and Sydney Weatherford matched goose eggs through the first three innings, with neither hurler allowing a hit.
• Gottshall, after throwing a perfect game on Saturday, hit Jessica Fehr with a pitch to begin the bottom of the first, but then got a strikeout and a double play. Jenna Lis walked to start the UE second, before Gottshall struck out two hitters and induced the next batter to hit a fly ball to L'Esperance in center.
• Weatherford retired the first nine hitters she faced, but then allowed three-straight baserunners to begin the fourth. L'Esperance reached on a bunt single, then took third on a Dolejs base hit, with Dolejs taking second on the throw.
• Bailey Sample followed with a single through the right side that scored L'Esperance, and a Williamson grounder would score pinch-runner Makailah Dees.
• Gottshall struck out the side in the fourth, and BG looked to have something brewing in the fifth. Weber greeted reliever Paige McAllister by drawing a walk, and pinch-runner Bre Cooper took second on a passed ball. Both Reid and L'Esperance walked on four pitches. McAllister had thrown just two strikes among her 14 pitches, and the bases were loaded with no outs. But, the game was halted due to rain and lightning in the area, and was declared a no-contest.

STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• Both Dolejs and Weber went 2-for-3 in the win over Morehead State. Dolejs had a triple and drove in a run.
• Hendrix was 1-for-3 with the first homer, the first three runs batted in and the first game-winning RBI of her BGSU career.
• Hamm was 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored, while L'Esperance went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run. Reid had an RBI single in three trips to the plate.
• Davies got the win, allowing just two earned runs and five hits before leaving with two outs in the sixth. She walked three batters and struck out a career-high nine.
• Hurley earned her third save of the season, the highest total by a Falcon in four years (since Brooke Parker in 2018). No BGSU hurler has had more than three saves since Jamie Kertes had four in 2014.
• As mentioned, none of the statistics from the Evansville game will count, but L'Esperance, Dolejs and Sample all had hits, with Sample and Williamson driving in runs. L'Esperance also drew a walk, as did Carver, Weber and Reid.
• Gottshall faced just one batter over the minimum in her four innings of no-hit ball, walking one batter while striking out seven.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons will head to Nashville, Tenn., for five games in next weekend's (March 11-13) Lady Bison Classic. BGSU is scheduled to open that tourney with a Friday (March 11) game vs. Houston Baptist. The Falcons will also play two games apiece against Pittsburgh and Lipscomb.

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.