Davies, Falcons End 2023 Season With 4-2 Win at NIU

Saturday, May 6

DeKalb, IL

2:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

8-41, 1-28

Northern Illinois

26-24, 15-12

BGSU

NIU

Hannah Davies v Kent State - April 29 2023

Hannah Davies (12) allowed just 2 hits -- and no runs -- over the final 6 innings of Saturday's win at NIU

Photo by: Lauren Laudato, BGSU Athletics

May 06, 2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Fifth-year Falcon pitches a gem in her final collegiate appearance

By: by Mike Cihon, BGSU Strategic Communications

DeKALB, Ill. – In the final game of her collegiate career, Hannah Davies pitched a gem.

Davies fired a complete-game four-hitter as the Bowling Green State University softball team ended the 2023 season with a 4-2 win over Northern Illinois University Saturday (May 6). The Mid-American Conference game took place at Mary M. Bell Field.

After NIU scored twice in the first inning to erase a 1-0 BGSU lead, Davies allowed only two hits – and no runs – over the final six frames. Meanwhile, the Falcons (9-41, 2-28 MAC) scored three times in the third inning to take the lead for good.

The Huskies (26-25, 15-13 MAC) won Saturday's first game, 16-1 in five innings.

Sophie Weber had four hits on the day, going 4-for-6 with a walk, two doubles, a run and two RBI in the doubleheader. Peyton Dolejs had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and scored three runs in the twinbill.

Makailah Dees had a hit in each end of the DH, with a triple in the opener and a walk and a run in the nightcap.

BGSU-NIU GAME ONE – HOW IT HAPPENED
• BGSU got on the scoreboard with one out in the first inning. Peyton Dolejs scorched a Danielle Stewart pitch to left for a double, and the next hitter, Sophie Weber, hit a ball over the center fielder's head for another double that plated Dolejs with the game's first run.
• The Huskies, however, countered with a 10-run inning. NIU had eight hits and also took advantage of a pair of Falcon errors in that frame.
• BGSU put runners at the corners in the third, but could not score. The Huskies employed a shift against Mikailah Dees, and that shift was unsuccessful, to say the least. Dees roped a ball through the right side of the infield into right field – an unoccupied right field – with Dees making it all the way to third. Weber drew a two-out walk, but a fly ball was caught in center to end the threat.
• The hosts added six runs in the bottom of the third, with a walk, a hit batter and five hits, including a pair of doubles.
• Madison Lenig singled with one out in the Falcon fourth, and she advanced to second on a wild pitch. Wynnie Reid drew a two-out walk, and another wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, respectively, but they were stranded there as the next BG hitter was ruled out on a bang-bang play at first.
• The Huskies had five doubles among 13 total hits in game one. Caitlyn Shumaker went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs, while three Huskies – Kelly Walinski, Sam Mallinder and Kiley Conner – each were 2-for-4. Conner drove in three runs, with five of her teammates picking up two RBI apiece.
• The Falcons had four hits, including three of the extra-base variety. Weber walked and doubled, with Dolejs bashing a double and Dees a triple.

BGSU-NIU GAME TWO – HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Falcons began the game with base hits by Dees and Dolejs. A ground ball advanced the runners, and with two outs, Dolejs scored the game's first run on a wild pitch by Huskie starter Lily Cassell.
• The Huskies tied the contest in the bottom of the inning, as Mallinder's two-out single scored Courtney James, who had walked. Then, Mallinder came home on a Conner double to give NIU the lead.
• BG retook the lead the third inning. With one out, Dees walked on four pitches, and Dolejs hit a ball to right-center for a double. Dolejs continued to third on an outfield error, with Dees scoring on the play. Weber followed with a double to right-center as Dolejs trotted home.
• Weber tagged and took third on a fly ball to right, then scored as Marti Henkel came through with a two-out single up the middle, giving the Orange and Brown a 4-2 lead.
• A one-out error and a two-out walk gave NIU a pair of third-inning baserunners, but BGSU starter Hannah Davies responded by striking out Conner to end the threat.
• In the fourth, Davies struck out back-to-back Huskies, and after a two-out single, she got Ellis Erickson to ground out on the very next pitch.
• Weber and Reagan Williamson had back-to-back singles in the fifth, and an Ally Bezjak bunt moved the runners up, but NIU reliever Emily Dato was able to get an inning-ending fly ball to center.
• The Huskies went in order in the home half of the fifth, with Dolejs making a nice running catch of a James drive to deep right-center.
• Mallinder hit a hot shot just inside the third-base bag to begin the Huskie sixth, but Weber knocked the ball down, picked it up in foul territory and fired to first in time.
• That out proved to be big, as Conner followed with a double that might have scored Mallinder had she been on base. With pinch-runner Fiona Crane standing on second, Davies got Stewart to hit a foul pop that Weber grabbed for the second out. Then, Delaney Ostrowski hit a ball to shallow left, with second baseman Mackenna Fry making a nifty basket catch with her back to the plate for the third out.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Davies got Cara Cruthers to hit a routine fly ball to right, where Delaney Davis settled under it for out number one. Davies then struck out both pinch-hitter Madison Mathews and Shumaker to lock down the complete-game win.
• BGSU had an 8-4 advantage in hits, with Weber going 3-for-4 and Dolejs 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Weber doubled twice and Dolejs once in the win.
• Dees, Henkel and Williamson each had a hit, with Dees adding a walk in the victory.
Conner had two of the Huskies' four hits.

UP NEXT
• For both BGSU and NIU, Saturday's doubleheader concluded the 2023 season.

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.