Godbolt's Go-Ahead Blast Lifts Falcons Past Zips in Series Opener

Maycee Godbolt led off the bottom of the sixth inning with an opposite-field home run, lifting the Bowling Green State University softball team to a 3-2 win over the University of Akron on Saturday (April 23). The game, the opener of a three-game Mid-American Conference weekend series, took place at a sun-drenched Meserve Field.

The Zips jumped on top early in the nightcap, posting a 5-2 win to split the Saturday DH.

Bailey Sample's two-run homer had given the Falcons (24-14, 10-8 MAC) a 2-0 lead in the third inning of the opener, but the Zips (17-25, 12-9 MAC) responded with two runs in the top of the sixth, as a Lexi Campbell double plated a pair of teammates.

But, Godbolt led off the home half of the inning with a line-drive homer to right off of UA starter Lexie Petrof, giving the Brown and Orange the lead for good.

Payton Gottshall picked up the complete-game win in the opener, striking out 13 Zips.

In the nightcap, Laurel DeVoe's two-run homer in the second inning gave UA the lead, and the Zips would add another run in the third and two more in the sixth. BGSU scored a pair of two-out runs in the seventh, but Olivia Otani was able to retire the next hitter and close out the complete-game win.

Greta L'Esperance had two hits in each end of the doubleheader, while Godbolt had three total hits on the day.

NOTEWORTHY
• Payton Gottshall now has 274 strikeouts this season, the second-highest total in BGSU history. She needs only eight more to tie the school record she set last season. Gottshall whiffed 282 batters in 2021.
• Gottshall now has 684 career strikeouts, and ranks second on that BGSU list as well. She trails only Liz Vrabel (2003-06), who struck out 768 batters during her Hall-of-Fame career.

Gallery: (4-23-2022) Softball v Akron - April 23 2-22

HOW IT HAPPENED
• In the opener, both BGSU's Payton Gottshall and Akron's Lexie Petrof fired a pair of scoreless innings to begin the contest. Gottshall struck out the side in the first inning and allowed only one hit in those two frames.
• Petrof worked out of trouble in the first inning, after allowing a leadoff single to Greta L'Esperance and walking Bailey Sample. The runners moved to second and third, respectively, on a wild pitch, but were forced to hold on a ground ball to short before Petrof got an inning-ending strikeout.
• Gottshall worked a one-two-three third inning, with two more strikeouts. Then, in the bottom of the inning, L'Esperance picked up her second single of the game – reaching first without a throw for the second-straight at-bat – before Sample scorched a ball to left for a line-drive homer. The two-run blast, Sample's third of the year, gave BGSU a 2-0 lead.
• Gottshall took a one-hit shutout into the sixth before the Zips rallied. Shelby Fortune doubled with one out, and Angela Cirone drew a walk. Gottshall struck out Jaiden Bryant for the second out of the inning, but Lexi Campbell doubled to plate both runners and tie the game.
• But, Maycee Godbolt led off the bottom of the sixth by hitting a line drive to right for an opposite-field homer. That solo shot would prove to be the winning run.
• In the seventh, Laurel DeVoe would draw a one-out walk, but Gottshall then struck out both Tiffany Stevens and Madison Dudek to give the Falcons the win.
• In the nightcap, the first inning featured only one hit, as Sample singled and stole second with two outs. But, the Zips drew first blood in the second.
• Katelyn Reynolds led off with a single, and one out later, Dudek homered to left-center to give UA a 2-0 lead.
• BGSU put at least one runner on base in each of the first five innings, as Sample singled in the first, Sophie Weber had a base hit in the second, L'Esperance reached on a single in the third, both Godbolt and Makailah Dees had singles in the fourth and Peyton Dolejs singled through the right side of the infield in the fifth. But, in each case, UA starting pitcher Olivia Otani was able to keep the Falcons off of the scoreboard.
• The Zips added to the lead with an unearned run in the third, as Fortune led off with a double and scored on a two-out BGSU error.
• Madi Young pitched the longest outing of her young BGSU career in Saturday's second game. she allowed hits to DeVoe and Madison Dudek in the fourth inning, but struck out the other three batters she faced in that frame.
• UA threatened again in the fifth, loading the bases on a two-out walk to DeVoe, but Young got Stevens to ground out to Sarah Gonzalez at third.
• But, Akron added to the lead in the sixth. Dudek led off with a double, and took third on a sac bunt by Fortune. Cirone singled as the Falcons held Dudek at third, but Dudek would score on a grounder by Carley Auten, and Cirone would cross the plate after a BG error.
• Kiara Hurley retired the Zips in order in the seventh, and BGSU got on the board in the bottom of the frame.
• That inning saw Wynnie Reid draw a two-out walk before L'Esperance reached on a bunt single. The latter play saw Otani field the ball and throw wide of first. The throwing error was compounded by the fact that UA's right fielder was in the infield as part of a defensive shift employed against L'Esperance. The ball rolled into foul territory in right as Reid scored easily before L'Esperance came all the way around as well.
• But, Otani responded by getting another ground ball back toward the circle, this time throwing accurately to first for the final out of the game.

STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• L'Esperance and Godbolt each went 2-for-3 in the opener. L'Esperance had a pair of infield singles and stole two bases to up her MAC-leading total to 27.
• Godbolt's hits inclued a sixth-inning homer that gave BGSU the lead for good.
• Gottshall picked up the victory in game one, going the distance and allowing two runs on three hits. She walked two Zips and struck out 13.
• Petrof took the loss, surrendering three runs and six hits. She issued one walk and had 10 strikeouts.
• Sample's homer was her third of the season and gave her a total of 16 RBI, good for third on the team.
• All three of Akron's hits in the opener were doubles. Campbell, DeVoe and Fortune each had a two-base knock, with Campbell driving in both UA runs.
• Both teams had 13 hits on the day. After outhitting Akron, 6-3, in the opener, BGSU was outhit by the Zips, 10-7, in the nightcap.
• That second game saw DeVoe go 2-for-3 for UA, while both Dudek and Reynolds were 2-for-4.
* L'Esperance had two hits for the Brown and Orange, for her second multiple-hit game of the day and her team-leading multi-hit contest of the year.
• Otani earned the complete-game win for the Zips, allowing two runs – both unearned – and seven hits. She walked one and struck out four.
• After throwing 121 pitches in the opener, Gottshall started the second game and pitched two-plus innings, but suffered the loss. She gave up two earned runs and three hits, striking out a pair.
• Young had her longest outing of the season, allowing two runs (just one earned) in four innings of work. She walked one batter and struck out three.
• Hurley worked a one-two-three seventh frame, striking out a pair
• Godbolt entered the day with three hits on the season, but matched that total with three hits on Saturday, including her first homer of the year and the third of her career.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons and Zips meet again on Sunday (April 24) in a single game, with first pitch at noon.
• Sunday will be Senior Day at Meserve Field, with Sammy Dees, Sarah Gonzalez, Payton Hamm and Kiara Hurley recognized in ceremonies prior to the contest.

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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