Seniors Shine, But Falcons See 2022 Season Come to an End

Tuesday, May 24

Fort Collins, CO

10:30 AM

Bowling Green State University

34-21

Kansas

19-35

Kansas

Bowling Green

Sarah Gonzalez tied her career high with 3 hits in Tuesday's game vs. Kansas

Photo by: Morgan Holscher, BGSU Athletics

May 24, 2022 | Softball

Box Score BGSU-KU Stats NISC Tournament Central support our student-athletes

Gonzalez, Hamm combine to drive in all three BGSU runs vs. Kansas

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The University of Kansas used the long ball to get past the Bowling Green State University softball team, 8-3, on Tuesday (May 24). The game, part of the National Invitational Softball Championships, was held at TC Colorado Field.

With the loss, the Falcons are eliminated from the NISC and see the 2022 season come to an end.

A pair of fifth-year seniors, Sarah Gonzalez and Payton Hamm, combined for four of BGSU's seven hits and drove in all three Falcon runs on Tuesday.

In her 228th career game at BG, Gonzalez was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate to tie her career-high hit total. She had a pair of RBI vs. the Jayhawks, and also made a nifty play at third to start a double play in the fifth inning.

Hamm had an RBI single in the second inning, and made a sliding catch of a fly ball in right field in the game as well.

BGSU flashed the leather in the field all day long, with Peyton Dolejs and Bailey Sample each making several sparkling defensive plays. Dolejs made multiple spectacular catches in left, including one where she crashed through the wall in left-center to make the play.

In addition to Gonzalez and Hamm, BGSU senior Kiara Hurley also played in her final collegiate contest on Tuesday. She earned the start in the circle and threw 4 2/3 innings, with the final pitch of her Falcon career resulting in a double-play grounder.

The Falcons, the ninth seed for the 12-team, double-elimination tournament, went 2-2 in Fort Collins and finish the season with an overall record of 34-21.

Check out this incredible play from @BGSUSoftball's Peyton Dolejs in the 2022 Postseason NISC! 👀@SportsCenter #SCTop10 #NISC pic.twitter.com/QD1ihS60ZA
— Postseason NISC (@WomensNISC) May 24, 2022

The Jayhawks (19-35 overall) got four homers in the game to stay alive in the tournament.

At the conclusion of Tuesday's game, it was announced that Maycee Godbolt was BGSU's representative on the NISC All-Tournament Team.

NIFTY NISC NOTES
• Maycee Godbolt, as we just mentioned, was named to the NISC All-Tournament Team. After entering the tournament with two homers and three RBI on the season, she homered three times and drove in six runs in BG's four games in Fort Collins.
• Sarah Gonzalez hit a scorching .600 in the tournament, going 6-for-10 with a double, a homer and four RBI at the NISC.
• Gonzalez had hits in four-straght at-bats to end her career. She homered in the fifth inning vs. George Washington on Monday (for what proved to be the game-winning RBI) before going a perfect 3-for-3 vs. KU.
• Sophie Weber hit .455 in Fort Collins, going 5-for-11, while Godbolt hit .364 (4-for-11) and Bailey Sample .333 (4-for-12).
• Ally Bezjak went 2-for-3 in three pinch-hit appearances at the tourney.

QUOTING COACH WILLIS
"I am so very proud of what this team and the seniors accomplished this season. We have had so much success this season, in large part due to the amazing leaders in our senior class. It has been a long time since the program competed at the MAC tournament and even longer to play in a MAC championship game. Equally, the team had not been to post season since 2004 and we were able to capture some wins on a national stage.:

"This season has set a precedent for the future of the program, and it owes much thanks to Sarah Gonzalez, Sammy Dees, Payton Hamm, and Kiara Hurley. They will be missed, but we will play on with them in our hearts."

HOW IT HAPPENED
• BGSU starter Kiara Hurley retired the first four hitters she faced, with fellow senior Payton Hamm making a sliding catch in right to end the first inning.
• KU's Lyric Moore, however, ended that streak with a homer to left in the top of the second. BGSU leftfielder Peyton Dolejs made a nifty catch of an Angela Price drive later in the inning, tracking down the ball just before hitting the fence. Hurley then struck out Jordan Richards to end the half-inning.
• And, the Falcons came right back to take the lead in the bottom of the second. Reagan Williamson led off by drilling a ball over rightfielder Moore's head for a double. Maycee Godbolt walked, but a double-play ball followed, and looked to put the kibosh on a promising inning.
• The Falcons, however, didn't take 'kibosh' for an answer. Sophie Weber was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners, and Sarah Gonzalez came through with a two-out single through the left side that scored pinch-runner Marlie McNulty. Then, Hamm lined a ball up the middle for a single, with pinch-runner Wynnie Reid coming around to score.
• Dolejs made another nice catch in the top of the third, tracking down a liner in off the bat of Ashlyn Anderson in front of the wall with two runners on base. But, Olivia Bruno followed with a homer to left that gave the Jayhawks a 4-2 lead.
• Bailey Sample made a nifty catch of a soft liner near the second-base bag to begin the fourth, and after Price tripled to right, Hurley struck out Richards, then got Haleigh Harper to hit an inning-ending ground ball to Sample at short.
• Gonzalez made a sweet snag of a bouncer by Savanna DesRochers in the fifth, stepping on the third-base bag before firing to first for a double play. But, Bruno greeted BG reliever Hannah Davies with a run-scoring double, and she would score on Moore's base hit. Davies struck out Sara Roszak to end the inning, but KU's lead was 6-2.
• Gonzalez led off the BG fifth with a base hit, but was erased on a double-play ball.
• Dolejs made another web gem in the sixth, crashing through the temporary fence as she made the catch of a drive by Harper. But, a Richards homer in that inning extended the Jayhawks' lead. And, DesRochers homered in the seventh for KU.
• BGSU got three-straight hits in the bottom of the seventh. Ally Bezjak led off by smacking the first pitch she saw to left for a pinch-hit single. Weber followed with a base hit to send Lexi Carver to second.
• Then, Gonzalez laced a ball to right-center for a run-scoring single in her final career at-bat, with Carver coming around to score. Makailah Dees came on to pinch-run for Gonzalez, who left the field for the final time.
• From there, however, KU reliever DesRochers set down the next three hitters. Dolejs, the final batter of the game, scorched a ball, but it was hit directly at Anderson at third.

STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• Gonzalez, as mentioned, led the Falcons at the plate. She was a perfect 3-for-3, tying her career best for hits in a game. Gonzalez drove in two of BG's three runs.
• Williamson had a double in three trips, while Bezjak, Weber and Hamm all singled. Hamm's hit was an RBI single in the second.
• For the Jayhawks, Moore was 2-for-3, while Bruno and Shayna Espy each went 2-for-4. Bruno homered, doubled and drove in four runs.
• Moore also homered and had two RBI, while DesRochers and Richards each had solo shots.
• Kasey Hamilton picked up the win for KU, allowing two runs and four hits in five innings. She walked one and struck out one. DesRochers allowed one run and three hits in two innings of relief, striking out three.
• Hurley went four and two-thirds innings in her final career start, while Davies pitched an inning and a third. Madi Young worked the seventh in the circle for the Falcons.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons see the 2022 season come to an end. BGSU's total of 34 wins is the program's highest in a decade.