Bowling Green State University Athletics
Monday, May 23
Fort Collins, CO
1:00 PM
Bowling Green State University
34-20
5
vs
3
George Washington
36-17
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5
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7
R
H
E
George Washington
0
1
0
0
1
0
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3
8
0
Bowling Green
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0
1
2
X
5
7
2
Bailey Sample had a pair of RBI doubles in Monday's win (photo courtesy Miami Athletics)
Falcons Surge Past Colonials, 5-3
May 23, 2022 | Softball
Gottshall, Gonzalez, Godbolt help ground GW
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The Bowling Green State University softball team used the long ball to take the lead for good as the Falcons downed George Washington University, 5-3, Monday (May 23). The game, part of the National Invitational Softball Championships, was held at TC Colorado Field.
Sarah Gonzalez homered to lead off the bottom of the fifth, breaking a 2-2 tie, and Maycee Godbolt added a two-run blast – her third homer of the tournament – one inning later to provide some insurance against the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season champions.
With the win, the ninth-seeded Falcons (34-20) stay alive in the 12-team, double-elimination tournament. The Colonials (36-17), the tourney's fifth seed, see the 2022 season come to an end.
Bailey Sample doubled in both the first and third innings, driving home Greta L'Esperance each time, but GW answered with single runs in both the second and fifth.
After Payton Gottshall and the Falcons got out of a bases-loaded situation in the fifth, however, Gonzalez homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the inning to give BGSU the lead for good.
NOTEWORTHY
• Payton Gottshall got the win on Monday, her school record-tying 27th victory of the season. Jody Record had 27 wins in the 1992 campaign.
• Gottshall, the 2022 Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year, now has picked up victories over conference pitchers of the year in two of the last three days. She out-dueled Stephen F. Austin's Kassidy Wilbur, the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, on Saturday, before topping two-time Atlantic 10 Conference P-O-Y Sierra Lange and GW on Monday.
• Maycee Godbolt's homer vs. the Colonials was her fifth of the season and her third in three days.
• Sarah Gonzalez now has four homers in 2022 and 16 in her BGSU career. She has moved into a tie for 11th place on the school's career chart.
• BGSU now has 34 wins, the program's highest total since the 2012 team won 36 games.
• For what it's worth, this is the latest the Falcons have ever played in the spring. The GW game was played on May 23, with another BGSU contest scheduled for May 24. The 1993 team played on May 22.
• Also for what it's worth ... after the BGSU-GW game, only 26 NCAA Division-I teams are still playing this season, and the Falcons are obviously one of those 26 teams. Fort Collins weather permitting, that number will be reduced to 24 by the end of the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Payton Gottshall worked out of several jams on the day, including one in the top of the first inning. Sierra Lange led off the game with a bunt single, and a one-out hit by Alessandra Ponce put a pair of runners in scoring position. Gottshall got a popup for the second out, and after a walk loaded the bases, the Falcon phenom struck out Maggie Greco to end the inning.
• BGSU quickly broke on top in the bottom of the inning. Greta L'Esperance led off with a single to center, then stole second. She would score easily when Bailey Sample roped a ball down the right-field line for a double.
• Back came the Colonials, though. After Gottshall struck out back-to-back batters in the second, Valentina Perrone singled, and Lange placed a drive of her own down the right-field line for a triple.
• Ponce was hit by a pitch to begin the third, but first baseman Sophie Weber fielded a bunt and fired to second to cut down pinch-runner Gabby Polsky, with shortstop Sample making a nifty stretch on the play. Gottshall set down the next two Colonials to end the inning.
• BGSU's third inning at the plate was very similar to the first. L'Esperance reached on a bunt single, and a Sample double enabled her to come all the way around to make it a 2-1 Falcon lead.
• Maddy Dwyer doubled to begin the fourth, and pinch-runner Olivia Vinyard tagged and took third on a fly ball. But, Gottshall grabbed a popup, and L'Esperance made a nice running catch of a fly ball to left-center.
• GW tied the game in the fifth. A-10 Player of the Year Alexa Williams reached on an error, and Ponce doubled to put runners at second and third. An infield grounder off the bat of Mia Parker loaded the bases as the Falcons threw home to prevent Williams from scoring. Gottshall struck out Hannah Eslick for the first out, but pinch-hitter Taylor Puig drew a run-scoring walk, and the game was tied.
• With the bases still loaded and just one out, Gottshall got Dwyer to pop up, with third baseman Sarah Gonzalez making the catch near home plate. Then, Gottshall struck out Maddie Spell to end the inning.
• And, Gonzalez led off the bottom of the inning by blasting the first pitch she saw over the wall in left-center. The solo homer gave the Falcons the lead for good.
• GW got an infield hit to lead off the sixth, but Gottshall fielded a bunt and threw out the lead runner. After a fly ball to left, Sample grabbed a ground ball near the second-base bag and, from her knees, flipped it to Lexi Carver to retire the side.
• Reagan Williamson singled with one out in the BG sixth, and Maycee Godbolt followed with a two-run homer. The round-tripper, Godbolt's third of the tournament, gave the Falcons a three-run lead.
• The Colonials got an unearned run in the seventh. Parker led off with a single, and a one-out grounder was thrown away in an attempt to get the lead runner. GW had runners at second and third with one out, and a Dwyer fly ball to center scored a run but produced the second out. Then, Gottshall got Spell to pop up to short to end the game.
STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• L'Esperance and Sample each went 2-for-3 as part of BGSU's seven-hit attack. L'Esperance singled twice, stole a base and scored two runs. Sample had two doubles, driving home L'Esperance each time.
• Gonzalez had the game-winning RBI with her solo homer, while Godbolt's two-run shot provided some insurance. Williamson singled in Monday's win.
• BGSU was very efficient with baserunners in the game. The Falcons left just two runners on base, compared to 11 for GW.
• Lange, Perrone and Ponce all had two hits as the Colonials had an 8-7 advantage in that department.
• Gottshall picked up the win, allowing just one earned run and eight hits. She walked two batters and struck out five.
• Lange took the loss, surrendering five runs and seven hits. She struck out seven Falcons and did not walk a batter.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons move on to face Kansas. That game is scheduled for Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. ET.
NISC RESULTS
Saturday, May 21
#9 Bowling Green 7, #8 Stephen F. Austin 3
#12 Kansas 4, #5 George Washington 3
#10 UC San Diego 7, #7 Rutgers 5
#6 North Alabama 18, #11 Tarleton State 15
Sunday, May 22
#1 Virginia 10, Bowling Green 2 (5 inn.)
#4 Central Arkansas 5, Kansas 4 (8 inn.)
#2 Baylor 10, UC San Diego 2 (6 inn.)
North Alabama 9, #3 UNLV 5
Monday, May 23
Kansas 8, Stephen F. Austin 0 (5 inn.) *
Bowling Green 5, George Washington 3 *
UNLV 5, Rutgers 1 *
Tarleton State 6, UC San Diego 4 *
Tuesday, May 24
Bowling Green vs. Kansas, 10:30 a.m.
UNLV vs. Tarleton State, 1:00
Virginia vs. Central Arkansas, 3:30
Baylor vs. North Alabama, 6:00
* losing team eliminated
(all times p.m. & Eastern unless noted)
Sarah Gonzalez homered to lead off the bottom of the fifth, breaking a 2-2 tie, and Maycee Godbolt added a two-run blast – her third homer of the tournament – one inning later to provide some insurance against the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season champions.
With the win, the ninth-seeded Falcons (34-20) stay alive in the 12-team, double-elimination tournament. The Colonials (36-17), the tourney's fifth seed, see the 2022 season come to an end.
Bailey Sample doubled in both the first and third innings, driving home Greta L'Esperance each time, but GW answered with single runs in both the second and fifth.
After Payton Gottshall and the Falcons got out of a bases-loaded situation in the fifth, however, Gonzalez homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the inning to give BGSU the lead for good.
NOTEWORTHY
• Payton Gottshall got the win on Monday, her school record-tying 27th victory of the season. Jody Record had 27 wins in the 1992 campaign.
• Gottshall, the 2022 Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year, now has picked up victories over conference pitchers of the year in two of the last three days. She out-dueled Stephen F. Austin's Kassidy Wilbur, the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, on Saturday, before topping two-time Atlantic 10 Conference P-O-Y Sierra Lange and GW on Monday.
• Maycee Godbolt's homer vs. the Colonials was her fifth of the season and her third in three days.
• Sarah Gonzalez now has four homers in 2022 and 16 in her BGSU career. She has moved into a tie for 11th place on the school's career chart.
• BGSU now has 34 wins, the program's highest total since the 2012 team won 36 games.
• For what it's worth, this is the latest the Falcons have ever played in the spring. The GW game was played on May 23, with another BGSU contest scheduled for May 24. The 1993 team played on May 22.
• Also for what it's worth ... after the BGSU-GW game, only 26 NCAA Division-I teams are still playing this season, and the Falcons are obviously one of those 26 teams. Fort Collins weather permitting, that number will be reduced to 24 by the end of the day.
Great game today between @GW_Softball and @BGSUSoftball with @BGSUSoftball taking the win! 🥎🚨 Final score: 5 - 3 🚨🥎 pic.twitter.com/RbA2mMTkev
— Postseason NISC (@WomensNISC) May 23, 2022
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Payton Gottshall worked out of several jams on the day, including one in the top of the first inning. Sierra Lange led off the game with a bunt single, and a one-out hit by Alessandra Ponce put a pair of runners in scoring position. Gottshall got a popup for the second out, and after a walk loaded the bases, the Falcon phenom struck out Maggie Greco to end the inning.
• BGSU quickly broke on top in the bottom of the inning. Greta L'Esperance led off with a single to center, then stole second. She would score easily when Bailey Sample roped a ball down the right-field line for a double.
• Back came the Colonials, though. After Gottshall struck out back-to-back batters in the second, Valentina Perrone singled, and Lange placed a drive of her own down the right-field line for a triple.
• Ponce was hit by a pitch to begin the third, but first baseman Sophie Weber fielded a bunt and fired to second to cut down pinch-runner Gabby Polsky, with shortstop Sample making a nifty stretch on the play. Gottshall set down the next two Colonials to end the inning.
• BGSU's third inning at the plate was very similar to the first. L'Esperance reached on a bunt single, and a Sample double enabled her to come all the way around to make it a 2-1 Falcon lead.
• Maddy Dwyer doubled to begin the fourth, and pinch-runner Olivia Vinyard tagged and took third on a fly ball. But, Gottshall grabbed a popup, and L'Esperance made a nice running catch of a fly ball to left-center.
• GW tied the game in the fifth. A-10 Player of the Year Alexa Williams reached on an error, and Ponce doubled to put runners at second and third. An infield grounder off the bat of Mia Parker loaded the bases as the Falcons threw home to prevent Williams from scoring. Gottshall struck out Hannah Eslick for the first out, but pinch-hitter Taylor Puig drew a run-scoring walk, and the game was tied.
• With the bases still loaded and just one out, Gottshall got Dwyer to pop up, with third baseman Sarah Gonzalez making the catch near home plate. Then, Gottshall struck out Maddie Spell to end the inning.
• And, Gonzalez led off the bottom of the inning by blasting the first pitch she saw over the wall in left-center. The solo homer gave the Falcons the lead for good.
• GW got an infield hit to lead off the sixth, but Gottshall fielded a bunt and threw out the lead runner. After a fly ball to left, Sample grabbed a ground ball near the second-base bag and, from her knees, flipped it to Lexi Carver to retire the side.
• Reagan Williamson singled with one out in the BG sixth, and Maycee Godbolt followed with a two-run homer. The round-tripper, Godbolt's third of the tournament, gave the Falcons a three-run lead.
• The Colonials got an unearned run in the seventh. Parker led off with a single, and a one-out grounder was thrown away in an attempt to get the lead runner. GW had runners at second and third with one out, and a Dwyer fly ball to center scored a run but produced the second out. Then, Gottshall got Spell to pop up to short to end the game.
STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• L'Esperance and Sample each went 2-for-3 as part of BGSU's seven-hit attack. L'Esperance singled twice, stole a base and scored two runs. Sample had two doubles, driving home L'Esperance each time.
• Gonzalez had the game-winning RBI with her solo homer, while Godbolt's two-run shot provided some insurance. Williamson singled in Monday's win.
• BGSU was very efficient with baserunners in the game. The Falcons left just two runners on base, compared to 11 for GW.
• Lange, Perrone and Ponce all had two hits as the Colonials had an 8-7 advantage in that department.
• Gottshall picked up the win, allowing just one earned run and eight hits. She walked two batters and struck out five.
• Lange took the loss, surrendering five runs and seven hits. She struck out seven Falcons and did not walk a batter.
UP NEXT
• The Falcons move on to face Kansas. That game is scheduled for Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. ET.
NISC RESULTS
Saturday, May 21
#9 Bowling Green 7, #8 Stephen F. Austin 3
#12 Kansas 4, #5 George Washington 3
#10 UC San Diego 7, #7 Rutgers 5
#6 North Alabama 18, #11 Tarleton State 15
Sunday, May 22
#1 Virginia 10, Bowling Green 2 (5 inn.)
#4 Central Arkansas 5, Kansas 4 (8 inn.)
#2 Baylor 10, UC San Diego 2 (6 inn.)
North Alabama 9, #3 UNLV 5
Monday, May 23
Kansas 8, Stephen F. Austin 0 (5 inn.) *
Bowling Green 5, George Washington 3 *
UNLV 5, Rutgers 1 *
Tarleton State 6, UC San Diego 4 *
Tuesday, May 24
Bowling Green vs. Kansas, 10:30 a.m.
UNLV vs. Tarleton State, 1:00
Virginia vs. Central Arkansas, 3:30
Baylor vs. North Alabama, 6:00
* losing team eliminated
(all times p.m. & Eastern unless noted)
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gottshall, Payton (27-13)
L: Lange, S. (27-11)
Batting:
2B: Ponce, A. 1 ; Dwyer, M. 1
3B: Lange, S. 1
RBI: Lange, S. 1 ; Puig, T. 1 ; Dwyer, M. 1
SF: Dwyer, M. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Williams, A. 1 ; Parker, M. 1 ; Perrone, V. 1
HBP: Ponce, A. 1
Batting:
2B: Sample, Bailey 2
HR: Godbolt, Maycee 1 ; Gonzalez, Sarah 1
RBI: Sample, Bailey 2 ; Godbolt, Maycee 2 ; Gonzalez, Sarah 1
Base Running:
RUNS: L'Esperance, Greta 2 ; McNulty, Marlie 1 ; Godbolt, Maycee 1 ; Gonzalez, Sarah 1
SB: L'Esperance, Greta 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
C/IF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballIF
/ Softball
IF/C
/ SoftballC
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