Homer-Happy Falcons Top KSU, 6-2, to Split Saturday Twinbill

Saturday, May 7

Kent, Ohio

1:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

29-16, 15-10

Kent State

19-27, 10-16

Bowling Green

Kent State

Lexi Carver's 3-run blast opened the scoring in game two on Saturday

Photo by: Chad Huffman, BGSU Athletics

May 07, 2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 BGSU-KSU Game 1 Stats BGSU-KSU Game 2 Stats

Carver, Godbolt & Sample touch 'em all in game two

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

KENT, Ohio – The bats came alive for the Bowling Green State University softball team on Saturday afternoon (May 7), as the Falcons homered three times en route to a 6-2 win over Kent State University. The game, the back end of a Mid-American Conference doubleheader, was held at the Diamond at Dix.

The Golden Flashes used a sixth-inning homer to capture the first game of the twinbill, 3-1.

All six BGSU runs scored via the long ball in the nightcap. Lexi Carver's three-run blast opened the scoring in the fourth inning, and Maycee Godbolt went deep just three batters later. After KSU cut the BG lead in half, Bailey Sample's two-run shot in the seventh inning restored the Falcons' four-run lead.

Kiara Hurley picked up the win, allowing just an unearned run in four innings of work. Payton Gottshall worked the final three innings to earn the save.

The Falcons (30-16, 16-10 MAC) have won 30 games for the first time in a decade, since the 2012 team finished with a 36-22. And, BGSU will finish the the highest winning percentage in MAC play since that same season. The 2012 club finished with a 15-7 (.681) conference mark.

NOTEWORTHY
• Entering the final day of the regular season, the Falcons still have a chance to finish anywhere from second to fourth in the MAC standings. The split on Saturday gives BGSU a 16-10 conference record. The Falcons are tied with Ohio (16-10 MAC), one-half game behind second-place Central Michigan (17-10 MAC).
• CMU moved into second place after sweeping Miami in a Saturday doubleheader, while Ohio dropped out of second after being swept by Western Michigan. The Chippewas host the RedHawks while the Bobcats host the Broncos in single games on Sunday.

ALSO NOTEWORTHY
• The Falcons hit three homers in a MAC game for the first time in exactly one year. BGSU last went deep three times vs. a conference foe on May 7, 2021, when Madi McCoy homered twice and Sammy Dees once in a 15-4 win at Northern Illinois.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons broke on top early against KSU starter Jessica LeBeau in the opener. Peyton Dolejs won an 11-pitch battle with LeBeau, fouling off six of those pitches before drawing a one-out walk. With two down, Reagan Williamson came through with a double to the gap in right-center, and Dolejs came all the way around to score.
• But, the Golden Flashes (now 19-28, 10-17 MAC) struck right back, getting an unearned run in the bottom of the first. Sabrina Kerschner led off with a double to left, and moved to third on Brooklyn Whitt's sacrifice bunt. On the latter play, Whitt was safe on an error as Kerschner came around to score.
• Whitt was caught stealing before BGSU starter Payton Gottshall struck out the next two hitters,
• Both teams threatened on several occasions over the next few innings, but neither side could score until the sixth.
• Sophie Weber reached on a one-out error in the second inning, and Sarah Gonzalez followed with a line-drive base hit. But, LeBeau got a strikeout and an infield roller to end the threat.
• Gonzalez made a nice leaping grab of a soft liner off the bat of Savannah Wing to end a one-two-three second inning for Gottshall.
• The Flashes loaded the bases in the third on an error, an infield hit and a hit-by-pitch, but Gottshall responded by striking out cleanup hitter Madyson Cole on three pitches to retire the side.
• Catcher Williamson made a nifty grab of a foul pop to end the fourth, making the play near the fence on the third-base side.
• In the fifth, Payton Hamm's one-out single snapped a string of nine consecutive batters retired by LeBeau, but the KSU hurler would respond with another stretch of nine-straight outs.
• In the sixth, Emily Lippe was hit by a pitch with one out, and Brenna Brownfield homered to left with two down to give the home team a two-run lead. BGSU would go in order in the seventh, as Gonzalez was robbed of a hit by diving leftfielder Cole to end the game.
• In the nightcap, the hosts put the first two runners aboard against Kiara Hurley. Kerschner singled to left, and Whitt beat out a bunt. But, Hurley got Lippe to pop up to Lexi Carver at second, and Dolejs made a spectacular diving catch of a Brownfield drive, as the BG leftfielder grabbed the ball near the left-field line. Then, Hurley got Wing to hit an inning-ending grounder to first.
• Williamson led off the second inning with a single, and Carver bunted pinch-runner Marlie McNulty to second, but KSU starter Andrea Scali struck out the next two Falcons.
• Hurley then proceeded to retire the side on just three pitches in the home half of the second, with a ground ball to Carver at second base and two to Gonzalez at third.
• Maycee Godbolt began the third inning by driving a ball to the base of the wall just to the right of centerfield, but she was stranded at second after the leadoff double.
• Kerschner's single in the KSU third ended Hurley's streak of seven-straight batters retired, but Carver made a diving catch of a Whitt popup near the right-field line behind first, and shortstop Bailey Sample made quick work of a Brownfield grounder to end the inning.
• And, the BG bats got going in the fourth. Sample led off with a bunt single, and continued on to second when the throw to first skipped away. Williamson walked, with Sample taking third as the ball-four pitch got away from the catcher.
• Then, Carver turned on a pitch and hit a no-doubt homer to left-center to give the Orange and Brown a three-run lead. Scali struck out the next two hitters, but Godbolt followed with a blast to straightaway center. The solo shot made it a 4-0 game.
• The Flashes cut into the BG lead in the form of an unearned run in the bottom of the frame. Wing was hit by a pitch, but a LeBeau ground ball resulted in a force at second. On the play, however, the throw to first was wide and LeBeau continued on to second.
• Then, Cole reached on a fielder's choice, as it was ruled that her soft liner hit the ground before it was grabbed by Carver. Both runners were safe on the play, and LeBeau scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Madison Hershberger.
• Dolejs singled and Sample walked with one out in the fifth, but BGSU could not advance the runners any further.
• In the bottom of the inning, Gottshall entered the game and set down the Golden Flashes in order, sandwiching a pair of strikeouts around a popup to Gonzalez.
• LeBeau hit a solo homer with two down in the sixth to cut the BG lead to 4-2, and Gottshall went to a 3-0 count on the next hitter, Delaney Robeson. But, the Falcon phenom battled back to strike out Robeson and send the game to the seventh.
• In that final frame, Greta L'Esperance led off with a bunt single, and trotted home when Sample crushed a ball to left for a two-run homer.
• The bottom of the inning saw Autumn Acord get hit by a pitch, with one out, but Gottshall struck out Kerschner before getting Whitt to hit a game-ending popup to Sample at short.

STATS, LEADERS & NOTES
• KSU held a slim 4-3 advantage in hits in the first game. Williamson had an RBI double for the Falcons, while seniors Gonzalez and Hamm each singled. Dolejs walked and scored.
• Four different Flashes had one hit apiece, with Brownfield's homer the big blow.
• LeBeau picked up the win, allowing one run and three hits while walking one batter and striking out six.
• Gottshall suffered the complete-game setback, surrendering two runs and four hits. She walked one batter and struck out seven.
• BGSU had nine hits to KSU's four in the second game. Godbolt, Sample and Williamson all went 2-for-3 in the win.
• Godbolt's hits both went for extra bases, as she had a double and a homer, and Sample also walked, scoring two runs and driving in two.
• Williamson had a walk in addition to her two singles, and Carver had the game-winning RBI with her three-run homer.
• Kerschner was 2-for-4 to pace the Flashes, while LeBeau scored both of KSU's runs.
• Hurley earned the win to improve to 4-2 on the season. She allowed just an unearned run and three hits in four innings.
• Gottshall allowed one run and just one hit over the final three innings to earn the save. She struck out four and did not walk a batter.
• Scali took the loss, giving up six runs and nine hits. Scali walked two Falcons and had eight strikeouts.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons end the regular season on Sunday (May 8), facing Kent State in a single game. First pitch is at 12:00 p.m. at the Diamond at Dix.
• Then, BGSU will head to Oxford, Ohio, for the MAC Tournament. The Falcons, Central Michigan and Ohio will join host Miami for the three-day, double-elimination tourney, which begins Thursday (May 12).

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.