Falcons Sweep Central to Close Out Home Schedule

Wednesday, May 4

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

28-15, 14-9

Central Michigan

24-22, 15-9

Central Michigan

Bowling Green

Bailey Sample scores the Falcons' fourth run in Wednesday's second game

Photo by: Larry Clapper

May 04, 2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 BGSU-CMU Game 1 Stats BGSU-CMU Game 2 Stats support our student-athletes Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Gottshall allows 3 hits all day; Gonzalez & Hamm drive in the game-winning runs

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Payton Gottshall picked up a pair of wins in the circle and a pair of Bowling Green State University seniors recorded the game-winning RBI as the Falcon softball team swept Central Michigan University on Wednesday afternoon (May 4). BG won by scores of 3-1 and 5-0 in the Mid-American Conference doubleheader at Meserve Field.

Gottshall was masterful for the Falcons (29-15, 15-9 MAC), throwing a pair of complete games. She allowed just an unearned run and three hits in 14 total innings of work.

In the opening game, the Falcons used a sixth-inning rally to break a 1-1 tie, as senior Sarah Gonzalez singled home the go-ahead run. Fellow fifth-year Falcon Payton Hamm picked up the game-winning RBI, with her two-run single opening the scoring as the home team scored three times in the second inning.

Greta L'Esperance was 5-of-7 at the plate on the day, with Gonzalez going 3-for-6 in the twinbill. Lexi Carver was 2-for-4 with a pair of walks.

Gottshall allowed CMU to bat just .068 as a team on the day, as Central hitters were a combined 3-for-44 in the two games.

The bottom of the BGSU lineup was solid all day long. The batters in the six through nine spots in the order combined for nine of the Falcons' 19 hits on the afternoon and produced five of the team's six RBI.

With the wins, the Falcons move ahead of the Chippewas (24-23, 15-10 MAC) in the conference standings. BGSU now sits in third place behind Miami and Ohio.

THE FALCONS AND THE MAC TOURNAMENT
• Following Wednesday's sweep of Central, the Falcons have a magic number of one to make the MAC Tournament. One BGSU win OR one Ball State loss will clinch a top-four spot and a tourney berth for the Falcons.
• BGSU is 15-9 in MAC play with three games remaining (this weekend's series at Kent State). Ball State, 13-12 in the league, play a single game at Miami on Thursday before hosting Akron in a three-game weekend series.

NOTEWORTHY
• For the third consecutive series, BGSU won two games to pass the opponent in the MAC standings. The Falcons went 2-1 vs. both Akron and Ball State, and BG swept the two-game set vs. CMU.
• Currently, the Falcons are in third place behind Miami (22-3 MAC) and Ohio (16-8). Miami has clinched the regular-season championship. The top-four teams in the final standings will advance to the MAC Tournament, which will be held in Oxford next Thursday through Saturday (May 12-14).
• Greta L'Esperance stole a base in each of Wednesday's wins. She now has 30 steals this year, tying her for third place on the BGSU single-season list.
• For Payton Gottshall, Wednesday's two wins give her 23 victories this season, the second-highest total in school history and the highest in 30 years. Jody Record holds the BGSU mark with 27 wins in 1992.
• As a team, BGSU now has 29 wins this year, topping last season's total of 27. It is the highest win total for the Falcons in a decade, since the 2012 club went 36-22.
• Gottshall broke her own BGSU single-season strikeout record in Saturday's doubleheader at Ball State. With her first strikeout of the day on Wednesday, she became the first Falcon ever 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 314 strikeouts this year and 724 in her BG career.
• The Falcons finished with a 12-4 record at Meserve Field this season.

📹HIGHLIGHTS‼️📹

After winning Wednesday's opener, the Falcons excelled in all phases of the game in the nightcap!#AyZiggy | 🥎🧡🥎🧡🥎 pic.twitter.com/5BdbaHbnOn
— BGSU Softball (@BGSUSoftball) May 4, 2022

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Payton Gottshall retired the first eight batters she faced on Wednesday, including four by strikeout. The first hitter of game one, Abbey Tolmie, became Gottshall's 300th strikeout victim of the season, extending her own school record.
• BGSU got a baserunner in each of the first two innings, as Greta L'Esperance singled to start the first frame and Lexi Carver drew a two-out walk in the second. But, the Falcons did not break through until the third.
• In that third inning, L'Esperance singled with one down, then came all the way around to score when Peyton Dolejs drilled a ball to left-center for a double. Reagan Williamson walked with two down to put two Falcons aboard, but CMU starter Grace Lehto escaped the jam.
• Gottshall had allowed only one baserunner through the first three frames, on a third-inning walk. But, Michaleigh Vallimont reached on a one-out error in the fourth, and pinch-runner Tessa Nuss stole second, then came around to score on a single to left by Skylar Coberley.
• Lehto retired the Falcons in order in the bottom of the fourth, and Emily Bracamonte led off the fifth with a base hit. A sacrifice bunt moved pinch-runner Tailynn Knapp to second, but Gottshall proceeded to strike out both Alyssa Hollo and Tolmie to end the inning.
• The Falcons used some two-out magic to take the lead in the sixth. Lehto retired the first two hitters, but Sophie Weber then reached on an infield single, beating the throw after hitting a ball into the hole at short. Carver followed by drawing a walk, and Sarah Gonzalez singled to score pinch-runner Marlie McNulty from second for what proved to be the decisive run. Madison Hendrix followed with a pinch-hit single that scored Carver to give the Falcons a two-run cushion.
• That was one more run than Gottshall needed, as she retired the Falcons in order in the seventh to close out the win.
• In game two, the Falcons put at least one runner on base in all six innings. L'Esperance singled and got as far as third base in the opening frame, but was stranded there.
• In the second inning, though, BGSU put together four-straight hits against CMU starter Kaitlyn Bean to take the lead for good.
• With one out, Carver, Weber and Gonzalez each singled to load the bases. Then, Payton Hamm came through with a base hit to right-center that plated a pair of runs.
• With runners at the corners, a passed ball allowed Gonzalez to score, while Hamm went all the way from first to third. Bean struck out the next two hitters, but BGSU's lead was three after two.
• Bailey Sample led off the bottom of the third with a single that chased Bean. Designated player Caitlyn Britton entered the circle and walked Williamson before allowing a single to Maycee Godbolt that loaded the bases. Carver made it a four-run game with a single that scored Sample.
• In the fourth, L'Esperance lined a ball just past the head of Britton and into center for a one-out single, and she promptly stole second. She took third on a Dolejs grounder, and after Sample reached on an infield single, L'Esperance trotted home when the throw to first was wide of the mark.
• Meanwhile, Gottshall had allowed only one baserunner through the first five innings, on a second-inning walk to Bracamonte. BGSU's defense had made several nifty plays in the fifth, as first baseman Weber made a diving catch of a Britton foul pop in front of the CMU dugout, and rightfielder Hamm ranged into foul territory to catch a drive by Bracamonte.
• In the sixth, Maddie Springer led off with a double to left, for Central's first hit of the game. Gottshall struck out pinch-hitter Hollo on three pitches, and Tolmie then lifted a soft liner to shallow center. L'Esperance, however, came charging in to make a diving catch, then threw to second base in plenty of time to double up Springer and end the inning.
• BGSU threatened once again in the sixth, as Gonzalez singled in her final career at-bat at Meserve Field, and L'Esperance had a two-out bunt single.
• The Falcons could not add to the five-run lead, but Gottshall set the Chippewas down in order in the seventh. She got Shannon Stein to lift a fly ball to center that L'Esperance gloved, then induced Vallimont and Coberly to hit routine infield grounders on back-to-back pitches.

Gallery: (5-4-2022) Softball v Central Michigan - May 4 2022

STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• L'Esperance, as mentioned, went 5-for-7 in the doubleheader. She was 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a run in the opener.
• Dolejs went 2-for-2 with an RBI double and a sac bunt in game one, while Hendrix, Weber and Gonzalez each had hits. Carver walked twice in the win.
• In addition to the aforementioned plays by some of her teammates, Dolejs also made several spectacular catches in the field in Wednesday's two wins.
• In the circle, Gottshall allowed just one run – an unearned run – and two hits. She walked one batter while striking out 10.
• Lehto took the loss despite allowing just one earned run in her complete-game effort. She surrendered seven hits, walking three and whiffing 10.
• After outhitting CMU by a 7-2 count in the opener, the Falcons pounded out 12 hits in the nightcap. L'Esperance was 3-for-4 with another stolen base, while Carver, Gonzalez and Sample all went 2-for-3.
• Hamm had a two-run single, picking up the game-winning RBI in her final career home game, while Weber and Godbolt each had hits as well.
• Gottshall faced just one batter over the minimum in game two. She allowed just one hit in her shutout victory, walking one batter and striking out five.
• On the day, Gottshall threw a total of 180 pitches, including 127 strikes.
• Bean took the loss for the Chippewas, allowing four runs (three earned) and six hits before leaving after facing one batter in the third. She struck out four and did not walk a batter. Britton pitched the final four innings, giving up just one unearned run. She allowed six hits as well, walking two and fanning one.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons head to Kent State to close the regular-season schedule. BGSU will battle the Golden Flashes in a Saturday (May 7) doubleheader, beginning at 1:00 p.m., and a Sunday (May 8) single game that starts at noon.
• When the dust settles on Sunday afternoon, BGSU hopes to be among the top-four teams in the final regular-season standings. Those four clubs will qualify for the MAC Tournament, which will be hosted by Miami next Thursday through Saturday (May 12-14).

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.