Falcons Clip Cardinals, 2-1, to Move into Fourth Place

Saturday, April 30

Muncie, Ind.

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

27-15, 13-9

Ball State

20-27, 13-10

Bowling Green

Ball State

Reagan Williamson v Morehead State - March 6 2022

Photo by: Evansville Athletics

April 30, 2022 | Softball

Box Score BGSU-BSU Stats support our student-athletes

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

MUNCIE, Ind. – Reagan Williamson reached base four times and drove in both of her team's runs as the Bowling Green State University softball Falcons gutted out a 2-1 victory over Ball State University on Saturday afternoon (April 30). The Mid-American Conference matchup was held at the Softball Field at First Merchants Ballpark Complex.

With the win, the Falcons (27-15, 13-9 MAC) move past the Cardinals into fourth place in the conference standings entering the final week of the regular season. The top-four teams in the league will qualify for the MAC Tournament.

BGSU captured two of the three games in the weekend series with the Cardinals (20-27, 13-10 MAC).

Williamson was 3-for-3 with a walk in Saturday's win. She had run-scoring singles in the first and fifth innings.

Peyton Dolejs reached base three times in the game. She was hit by a pitch twice and had a base hit in the fifth, coming around to score what would prove to be the winning run.

Payton Gottshall picked up the complete-game victory, scattering five hits while striking out seven.

NOTEWORTHY
• With Saturday's win, the Falcons moved past Ball State into fourth place in the MAC standings. The top-four teams in the final standings will advance to the MAC Tournament, which will be held at the site of the regular-season champions from May 12-14.
• For Payton Gottshall, Saturday's win was her 21st of the season, topping her previous career-best total of 20. She was 20-12 a year ago, and is now 21-9 this season to date.
• Gottshall's win total is the third-highest in school history, and is the highest victory total by a BG pitcher since 1993.
• As a team, BGSU now has 27 wins this year, tying last season's total. The Falcons have not won more than 27 games in a decade, since the 2012 club went 36-22 on the year.
• Gottshall broke her own BGSU single-season strikeout record in Saturday's doubleheader in Muncie, and is now one strikeout away from being the first Falcon to record 300 in a season. To put that in context, only eight BGSU pitchers have struck out 300 batters in a CAREER. Gottshall has 299 strikeouts this year and 709 in her BGSU career.
• Reagan Williamson's three-hit game on Saturday was her fourth of the season. All four have come against MAC opponents.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• As was the case in Friday's first game in Muncie – also a 2-1 BGSU win – the Falcons struck quickly. Greta L'Esperance began the game by drawing a walk, and Peyton Dolejs was hit by a Deborah Jones pitch.
• Bailey Sample's grounder moved the runners to second and third, respectively, and Reagan Williamson lined a ball between third baseman Emma Richards and the bag for a single that scored L'Esperance.
• L'Esperance made a nifty diving catch in shallow right-center in the bottom of the first, robbing Faith Hensley of a base hit, and first baseman Sophie Weber ended the frame by making a stop of an Amaia Daniel grounder, then diving and tagging the first-base bag.
• BGSU loaded the bases in the third, as Dolejs was again hit by a pitch before Sample walked and Williamson singled, but a double-play ball got Jones and the Cardinals out of the jam.
• BSU tied the score in that third frame, as Hannah Dukeman singled, stole second and scored on a Haley Wynn double. Daniel followed with a single to center, but L'Esperance fielded the ball, came up throwing and cut down Wynn trying to score. The ball reached catcher Williamson well ahead of the runner, and Williamson's tag ended the inning.
• Dolejs singled with one out in the fifth, then took second on a grounder by Sample. Williamson followed with a single to center that plated Dolejs with what would prove to be the game-winning run.
• BSU got a runner as far as second base in the home half of the fifth, on a BG error and a stolen base, but Payton Gottshall struck out both Dukeman and Hensley to end the inning.
• BG threatened in the sixth when Weber singled and Payton Hamm walked, but Angelina Russo replaced Jones in the circle and got an inning-ending strikeout.
• Gottshall set down the Cardinals in order in the sixth, and after allowing a leadoff single to Samantha-Jo Mata in the seventh, the Falcon phenom retired three-straight batters to end the game. Gottshall whiffed Emma Niece, got Jazmyne Armendariz to hit a popup that the pitcher grabbed out of the air, then struck out Kaitlyn Mathews to lock down the win.

STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• Both teams had five hits in the contest. As mentioned, Williamson led the way, going 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI.
• Dolejs had a single, was twice hit by a pitch and scored a run.
• L'Esperance walked and scored, while Weber picked up a base hit for the Orange and Brown.
• For the Cardinals, five different players had one hit apiece.
• Gottshall earned the complete-game win to improve to 21-9 on the year. She struck out seven and did not walk a batter, and threw 64 of her 93 pitches for strikes.
• Jones took the loss, allowing two runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. She walked four and struck out three. Russo got the final four outs, walking one Falcon and striking out one.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons will close out the home schedule with a three-game midweek series. BGSU will face Central Michigan at Meserve Field, with Tuesday's (May 3) single game scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday's (May 4) doubleheader set for a 1:00 p.m. start.
• Then, BG will close the regular season with a three-game set at Kent State next weekend (May 7-8).

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.