Friday, April 1
Bowling Green, Ohio
3:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
15-9, 3-3
7
vs
1
Toledo
8-18, 1-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Toledo
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
3
Bowling Green
2
0
2
0
3
0
X
7
8
2
Wynnie Reid & the Falcons captured the series opener vs. Toledo on Friday
Photo by: Larry Clapper
Falcons Turn Walks into Runs in 7-1 Win over Rockets
April 01, 2022 | Softball
Gottshall strikes out 15 in complete-game victory
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University softball team turned walks into runs on Friday afternoon (April 1), as the Falcons walked all over the University of Toledo, 7-1. The game, the opener of a three-game weekend series, took place at a chilly Meserve Field.
Payton Gottshall picked up the complete-game win in the circle for the Falcons (15-9, 3-3 MAC), striking out 15 batters while allowing just two hits.
Meanwhile, BGSU took a four-run lead after three innings despite recording just two hits during that time. The Falcons' offense put crooked numbers on the board in each of the odd-numbered innings, while Gottshall struck out the side in the even-numbered frames.
Three of the Falcons' first four runs of the day scored on bases-loaded walks.
The Rockets (8-18, 1-4 MAC) saw three pitchers issue a total of 10 bases on balls in the game.
Freshmen Wynnie Reid was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks for the Orange and Brown, while Greta L'Esperance also had two hits and two walks in the win. Sophie Weber picked up a pair of hits, while L'Esperance and Bailey Sample each scored twice. Sample had two stolen bases and L'Esperance and Reid one apiece.
For Gottshall, the 15 strikeouts tied a season high. She now has recorded a double-digit strikeout total in 25 career games, including eight games with 15 or more K's as a Falcon.
NOTEWORTHY
• Payton Gottshall's first strikeout of the day moved her into a tie for second place on the BGSU career list, and she assumed sole possession of second place on that list after striking out the very next batter of the game.
• Gottshall passed Hayley Wiemer (557 strikeouts from 2006-09), and now has a career total of 571 strikeouts. She now trails only BGSU Hall-of-Famer Liz Vrabel (768 strikeouts from 2003-06) on that list.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• On a chilly day at Meserve Field – there were snow flurries just prior to the first pitch – the Falcons took the lead in the first inning. BGSU scored twice against UT starter Sophia Knight, forcing the Rocket freshman to throw a total of 41 pitches in the opening frame.
• Greta L'Esperance led off by drawing a four-pitch walk, and Bailey Sample drew a one-out base on balls. Knight struck out the next hitter, but Lexi Carver walked on four pitches, and a Payton Hamm walk allowed L'Esperance to trot home. Sophie Weber's bad-hop single glance off of the shoulder of UT shortstop Jenna Kroll and caromed into shallow center, allowing Sample to cross the plate.
• UT had gotten a pair of first-inning baserunners again BGSU starter Payton Gottshall, but the inning ended with a nice catch of a foul pop by first baseman Weber, who battled the wind to make the grab. In the second, Gottshall struck out all three hitters she faced, including a pair of K's on just three pitches each.
• Knight escaped trouble in the bottom of the second despite issuing three more walks – to Wynnie Reid, Sample and Reagan Williamson. But, after Williamson's four-pitch free pass put three Falcons on, Knight was able to get an inning-ending strikeout.
• Gottshall worked around an infield error and a walk in the third inning, making an over-the-shoulder catch on an Aubrey Reed popup for the final out. Then, BGSU doubled the lead in the home half of the third.
• Hamm was hit by a pitch, and one out later, BG had a pair of baserunners as Sarah Gonzalez hit a ball to the right side. UT first baseman Molly Ryan fielded the ball, but her throw to second hit Hamm in the back. Reid's soft liner landed just inside the baseline in shallow right, loading the bases, before Knight walked L'Esperance to plate Hamm.
• Annika Johnson replaced Knight in the circle, but issued a walk to Peyton Dolejs that allowed Gonzalez to trot home.
• Gottshall struck out three pinch-hitters in the fourth inning, but Johnson allowed only a Weber single in the bottom half of the frame.
• UT threatened in the fifth inning, putting two runners on base with one out, but Gottshall struck out Dayna Denner and Kroll to end the threat. And, BGSU added to the lead in the home half.
• Reid led off by walking on four pitches, and L'Esperance beat out an infield grounder. Johnson fielded the ball and threw toward first, and the throw was wide of the mark, allowing Reid to come all the way around to score while L'Esperance took third. One out later, Sample's sharp single up the middle plated L'Esperance. Sample took second on a wild pitch and came home on Carver's two-out double to left.
• Gottshall struck out the side for the third time on the day in the sixth, and BGSU threatened to walk it off. Ellie Price, UT's third hurler of the game, retired the first two batters she faced, but Reid and L'Esperance had back-to-back singles, with Reid advancing to third when another futile attempt to retire L'Esperance saw a throw sail past first base. L'Esperance stole second, but Price got a grounder to the right side of the infield to escape the jam.
• The Rockets were able to avoid the shutout with a seventh-inning run. Sydney McKeever led off with a walk and took second on Lexi Eckman's sacrifice bunt. She stole third, then came home on a Ryan bunt. The next batter, Anna Dixon, fouled off a total of nine pitches during a lengthy at-bat. But, Gottshall won the battle and ended the game, inducing Dixon to hit a soft liner that L'Esperance gloved in shallow center.
STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• The Falcons had an 8-2 advantage in hits, with L'Esperance, Reid and Weber each recording two hits in the win. L'Esperance and Reid each had two walks as well, while Sample was 1-for-2 with two bases on balls.
• Sample and L'Esperance each scored twice, with Sample stealing two bases and L'Esperance one. Reid also stole a base in the win.
• Six different Falcons had an RBI, while seven BGSU players had at least one walk. All nine Falcons in the lineup reached base at least once in the win.
• In the circle, Gottshall allowed just two hits while walking three and striking out 15. She threw 96 of her 148 pitches for strikes, improving to 10-6 on the year.
• Knight, the first of three UT pitchers, took the loss. She allowed four runs (three earned) before leaving with one out in the third.
• Johnson allowed three runs (two earned) in two and two-thirds innings of work. Price pitched a scoreless inning, allowing two hits.
• The UT pitchers combined to throw 150 pitches in six innings, walking 10 and striking out five.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons and Rockets conclude their weekend series with a Saturday (April 2) doubleheader at Meserve Field. Saturday's games – like Friday's contest – will 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.
Payton Gottshall picked up the complete-game win in the circle for the Falcons (15-9, 3-3 MAC), striking out 15 batters while allowing just two hits.
Meanwhile, BGSU took a four-run lead after three innings despite recording just two hits during that time. The Falcons' offense put crooked numbers on the board in each of the odd-numbered innings, while Gottshall struck out the side in the even-numbered frames.
Three of the Falcons' first four runs of the day scored on bases-loaded walks.
The Rockets (8-18, 1-4 MAC) saw three pitchers issue a total of 10 bases on balls in the game.
Freshmen Wynnie Reid was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks for the Orange and Brown, while Greta L'Esperance also had two hits and two walks in the win. Sophie Weber picked up a pair of hits, while L'Esperance and Bailey Sample each scored twice. Sample had two stolen bases and L'Esperance and Reid one apiece.
For Gottshall, the 15 strikeouts tied a season high. She now has recorded a double-digit strikeout total in 25 career games, including eight games with 15 or more K's as a Falcon.
NOTEWORTHY
• Payton Gottshall's first strikeout of the day moved her into a tie for second place on the BGSU career list, and she assumed sole possession of second place on that list after striking out the very next batter of the game.
• Gottshall passed Hayley Wiemer (557 strikeouts from 2006-09), and now has a career total of 571 strikeouts. She now trails only BGSU Hall-of-Famer Liz Vrabel (768 strikeouts from 2003-06) on that list.
Tweets we should have tweeted an inning ago... with her final strikeout of the first inning, Payton Gottshall moved into second place on the BGSU career strikeouts list!#AyZiggy | 🥎🧡🥎🧡🥎
— BGSU Softball (@BGSUSoftball) April 1, 2022
HOW IT HAPPENED
• On a chilly day at Meserve Field – there were snow flurries just prior to the first pitch – the Falcons took the lead in the first inning. BGSU scored twice against UT starter Sophia Knight, forcing the Rocket freshman to throw a total of 41 pitches in the opening frame.
• Greta L'Esperance led off by drawing a four-pitch walk, and Bailey Sample drew a one-out base on balls. Knight struck out the next hitter, but Lexi Carver walked on four pitches, and a Payton Hamm walk allowed L'Esperance to trot home. Sophie Weber's bad-hop single glance off of the shoulder of UT shortstop Jenna Kroll and caromed into shallow center, allowing Sample to cross the plate.
• UT had gotten a pair of first-inning baserunners again BGSU starter Payton Gottshall, but the inning ended with a nice catch of a foul pop by first baseman Weber, who battled the wind to make the grab. In the second, Gottshall struck out all three hitters she faced, including a pair of K's on just three pitches each.
• Knight escaped trouble in the bottom of the second despite issuing three more walks – to Wynnie Reid, Sample and Reagan Williamson. But, after Williamson's four-pitch free pass put three Falcons on, Knight was able to get an inning-ending strikeout.
• Gottshall worked around an infield error and a walk in the third inning, making an over-the-shoulder catch on an Aubrey Reed popup for the final out. Then, BGSU doubled the lead in the home half of the third.
• Hamm was hit by a pitch, and one out later, BG had a pair of baserunners as Sarah Gonzalez hit a ball to the right side. UT first baseman Molly Ryan fielded the ball, but her throw to second hit Hamm in the back. Reid's soft liner landed just inside the baseline in shallow right, loading the bases, before Knight walked L'Esperance to plate Hamm.
• Annika Johnson replaced Knight in the circle, but issued a walk to Peyton Dolejs that allowed Gonzalez to trot home.
• Gottshall struck out three pinch-hitters in the fourth inning, but Johnson allowed only a Weber single in the bottom half of the frame.
• UT threatened in the fifth inning, putting two runners on base with one out, but Gottshall struck out Dayna Denner and Kroll to end the threat. And, BGSU added to the lead in the home half.
• Reid led off by walking on four pitches, and L'Esperance beat out an infield grounder. Johnson fielded the ball and threw toward first, and the throw was wide of the mark, allowing Reid to come all the way around to score while L'Esperance took third. One out later, Sample's sharp single up the middle plated L'Esperance. Sample took second on a wild pitch and came home on Carver's two-out double to left.
• Gottshall struck out the side for the third time on the day in the sixth, and BGSU threatened to walk it off. Ellie Price, UT's third hurler of the game, retired the first two batters she faced, but Reid and L'Esperance had back-to-back singles, with Reid advancing to third when another futile attempt to retire L'Esperance saw a throw sail past first base. L'Esperance stole second, but Price got a grounder to the right side of the infield to escape the jam.
• The Rockets were able to avoid the shutout with a seventh-inning run. Sydney McKeever led off with a walk and took second on Lexi Eckman's sacrifice bunt. She stole third, then came home on a Ryan bunt. The next batter, Anna Dixon, fouled off a total of nine pitches during a lengthy at-bat. But, Gottshall won the battle and ended the game, inducing Dixon to hit a soft liner that L'Esperance gloved in shallow center.
STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• The Falcons had an 8-2 advantage in hits, with L'Esperance, Reid and Weber each recording two hits in the win. L'Esperance and Reid each had two walks as well, while Sample was 1-for-2 with two bases on balls.
• Sample and L'Esperance each scored twice, with Sample stealing two bases and L'Esperance one. Reid also stole a base in the win.
• Six different Falcons had an RBI, while seven BGSU players had at least one walk. All nine Falcons in the lineup reached base at least once in the win.
• In the circle, Gottshall allowed just two hits while walking three and striking out 15. She threw 96 of her 148 pitches for strikes, improving to 10-6 on the year.
• Knight, the first of three UT pitchers, took the loss. She allowed four runs (three earned) before leaving with one out in the third.
• Johnson allowed three runs (two earned) in two and two-thirds innings of work. Price pitched a scoreless inning, allowing two hits.
• The UT pitchers combined to throw 150 pitches in six innings, walking 10 and striking out five.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons and Rockets conclude their weekend series with a Saturday (April 2) doubleheader at Meserve Field. Saturday's games – like Friday's contest – will 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.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gottshall, Payton (10-6)
L: KNIGHT, Sophia (4-8)
Batting:
2B: DIXON, Anna 1
RBI: RYAN, Molly 1
SH: ECKMAN, Lexi 1 ; RYAN, Molly 2
Base Running:
RUNS: McKEEVER, Sydney 1
SB: DIXON, Anna 1 ; McKEEVER, Sydney 1
Batting:
2B: Carver, Lexi 1
RBI: L'Esperance, Greta 1 ; Dolejs, Peyton 1 ; Sample, Bailey 1 ; Carver, Lexi 1 ; Hamm, Payton 1 ; Weber, Sophie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: L'Esperance, Greta 2 ; Sample, Bailey 2 ; Hamm, Payton 1 ; Gonzalez, Sarah 1 ; Reid, Wynnie 1
SB: L'Esperance, Greta 1 ; Sample, Bailey 2 ; Reid, Wynnie 1
HBP: Hamm, Payton 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
C/IF
/ Softball
Util.
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballUtil.
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballIF/C
/ Softball
C
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