Five-Run Second Inning Lifts Falcons Past Rockets, 9-8

Sunday, March 19

Rossford, OH

6:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

8-15, 1-2

Toledo

9-12, 2-1

Bowling Green

Toledo

Hannah Hunt had 2 hits & 2 RBI in Sunday night's win

Photo by: Morgan Holscher, BGSU Athletics

March 19, 2023 | Softball, The Battle Of I-75

Box Score

BGSU picks up a MAC win inside the dome Sunday night

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

ROSSFORD, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University softball team used a five-run second inning to take the lead for good, as the Falcons downed the University of Toledo, 9-8, Sunday evening (March 19). The Mid-American Conference game was held at Total Sports.

Makailah Dees and Peyton Dolejs each drove in a pair of teammates during that five-run second frame for the Falcons (8-15, 1-2 MAC), while Hannah Hunt and Wynnie Reid each had two RBI in the win as well.

Three BGSU relief pitchers inherited a combined four baserunners in the game, and that trio – Sydney Stepp, Hannah Davies and Scarlet Anderson – did not let a single one of those inherited runners score in the Falcons' one-run win.

Hunt had two of BGSU's nine hits, with seven of her teammates picking up one hit apiece. Five of the Falcons' nine hits were doubles.

Riley Mohr went 3-for-4 to lead the Rockets (9-12, 2-1 MAC). Mohr homered and drove in five of UT's eight runs on the night.

Some of those 🔑 performers...

💪 Hunt 2-3, 2B, RBI
👉 Dees 1-4, run, 2RBI
✌️ Davis 1-3, 2B, SB, run
🤘 Henkel 1-4, 2 runs
👌 Weber 1-3, 2B, BB, run, RBI
👍 Bezjak 1-3, 2B, run
👊 Reid 1-2, 2B, run, 2RBI
🤜 Dolejs 1-2, 2RBI
🙌 Team - A MAC win!#AyZiggy | 🟠🥎🟤
— BGSU Softball (@BGSUSoftball) March 20, 2023

BGSU v TOLEDO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Rockets got on the board in the home half of the first inning, on a Lexi Eckman walk and stolen base and a two-out bloop single by Riley Mohr. While pitching to the next Toledo batter, BGSU starting pitcher Ellie Price was forced to leave the game due to injury. Sydney Stepp entered the circle and after allowing a single, got a fielder's-choice grounder to retire the side.
• BGSU responded in a big way, scoring five times in the top of the second. Reagan Williamson walked, and on a Marti Henkel ground ball back to the circle, both runners were safe. Hannah Hunt followed with a sacrifice bunt before Ally Bezjak walked to load the bases.
• Then, Wynnie Reid was hit by an Erin Hunt pitch, with pinch-runner Marlie McNulty trotting home. Makailah Dees followed with a base hit, and when the UT throw from the outfield was off line, BG had runners on second and third and a 3-1 lead.
• A strikeout produced the second out of the inning, but Peyton Dolejs followed with a two-run single to give the Falcons a 5-1 lead.
• The Rockets would rally with three runs on four singles in the bottom of the inning. An infield error prolonged the inning and resulted in two of the three runs being unearned. Anna Dixon had an RBI single, and a drive by Riley Mohr caromed off of Stepp and spun into the outfield to plate another run in the inning.
• Hannah Davies came on to get the final out of the second inning, and the Falcon offense answered in the top of the third. Sophie Weber led off with a walk, and after Henkel reached on a throwing error, Hunt's liner down the left-field line plated both runners to give the Orange and Brown a 7-4 lead.
• BG added to the lead in the fourth. With one out, a hot shot by Delaney Davis caromed off of UT third baseman Jenna Kroll and down the line for a double. Dolejs bunted Davis to third, and Davis easily trotted home when Weber drove a ball to the fence in left for a two-out double.
• But, the Rockets would respond once again. After Dixon singled and Kroll was hit by a pitch, Mohr homered to left-center to get UT back within a single run. Davies responded by retiring the next three hitters in order.
• And, in the top of the fifth, BG got a run back. After the first two hitters were retired, Ally Bezjak doubled to left, and Reid's base hit up the middle scored pinch-runner Katie Hutter.
• The Rockets had a two-out rally of their own in the bottom of the inning, with an Eckman single, a Dixon walk and a Kroll fielder's choice that resulted in everyone advancing safely. But, with the bases loaded, Scarlet Anderson got Mohr to pop up to Hunt at second.
• The score remained 9-7 until the bottom of the seventh. Lily Beyer led off the inning by reaching on an error, and Eckman followed with a sac bunt that put a runner on third. That runner scored on a groundout, and UT got an infield single and a walk to advance the tying run to second and put the potential winning run on base. But, Anderson struck out Lauren Erickson to end the game.

UP NEXT
• The Falcons are scheduled to open the home portion of the 2023 schedule next weekend. BGSU is slated to play a three-game series vs. Ohio, with a Friday (March 24) single game and a Saturday (March 25) doubleheader at Meserve Field.
• Then, BG will host Western Michigan on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 28-29, for a three-game series.

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.