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Falcons Take Two From Titans, 4-1 and 6-2
April 29, 2004
DETROIT, Mich. - The Bowling Green State University softball team needed just one pitch to take the lead Thursday (April 29), as a first-pitch homerun propelled the Falcons to a doubleheader sweep at the University of Detroit Mercy. The Brown and Orange won by scores of 4-1 and 6-2 at UDM's Buysse Ballpark. With the victories, the Falcons improve to 27-23, while the host Titans fall to 13-28. The first contest couldn't have started any better for the Falcons. Freshman Jeanine Baca hit the first pitch of the game for a homerun to centerfield, and BGSU never trailed in either game.
After Baca's blast, classmate Emmy Ramsey reached on an error, and took second on sophomore Lindsay Heimrich's sacrifice bunt. Ramsey stole third before sophomore Gina Rango reached base on a single that caromed off pitcher Lindsay Roy's glove. Ramsey was forced to hold at third.
Rango then stole second base, and both runners scored on a bunt by junior Kristen Anderson, as Roy's throw was high and trickled down the right-field line. The Brown and Orange had a three-run lead after a half-inning of play. Baca was back at it an inning later, this time homering to left. That enabled her to tie the school single-game record. Meanwhile, Falcon starter Liz Vrabel was in control. The sophomore struck out three batters over the first two innings, then whiffed eight consecutive Titan hitters at one point. Vrabel struck out the side in both the fourth and fifth innings. The hosts spoiled the shutout bid with a two-out rally in the sixth. Sarah Dickey dropped a single in front of Falcon leftfielder Kari Steigerwald, and came home on an Andrea Sikora triple to the gap in right-center. But, Vrabel would not allow another baserunner. She finished off the Titans to complete a three-hit performance and improve to 14-12 on the year. Vrabel struck out 12 batters and did not issue a walk on the afternoon. Roy suffered the loss to drop to 6-11. She surrendered all four runs, with only two earned, and six hits in her five innings of work, striking out two without walking a batter. Lisa Ferguson worked two scoreless innings, walking one BG hitter and fanning two. At the plate, both Baca and Rango had two-hit games as BG had six as a team. Baca homered in each of her first two at-bats, then was hit by a pitch in her only other plate appearance of the game. In the second game, BGSU's first five runs came from players who had reached base via walks. The Falcons again broke on top early. Baca led off the game by drawing a base on balls against Titan starter Anna Ollgaard, and Ramsey sacrificed her to second. Heimrich followed with a double to the base of the wall in center. Baca, who had to wait to make certain the ball would not be caught, advanced to third on the play. Rango walked to load the bases and, one out later, senior Jenifer Kernahan also drew a walk to drive in Baca with the game's first run. Ollgaard recovered, however, to get an inning-ending strikeout with the bases full. Heimrich helped her own cause in the second inning, as the Falcons worked some two-out magic. Baca walked for the second time in as many innings, and Ramsey's single put two runners aboard. Then, Heimrich singled to right, and Baca came home with her fourth run of the doubleheader.
In the circle, Heimrich was perfect through two innings, but allowed back-to-back baserunners in the third. Kari Messina reached on a one-out error, and Raina Dailey followed with a single up the middle. But, Dickey hit a grounder to second baseman Megan McPherson, who threw to Rango at third to force Messina for the second out. Then, Heimrich got Sikora to ground out to third base. The Titans again put two runners aboard in the fourth, as the first two hitters reached on a single-and-error and a fielder's choice. Then, however, Ollgaard's apparent single turned into a fielder's choice, as Falcon leftfielder Finkel took the ball on a hop and threw to third ahead of the runner. Heimrich struck out Cori Castel for the second out, then fielded Michelle Baggio's grounder and tagged the batter out herself. BGSU tacked on some insurance in the top of the seventh. After Ollgaard retired the first two hitters, pinch-hitter Ashley Zirkle drew a walk, and Kernahan followed with a single through Ollgaard's legs and into centerfield. Habicht reached on a bad-hop single, as the ball caromed off third baseman Christin Bienenstein, loading the bases. Finkel again came through, lacing a single to left to plate a pair of runners and give the Falcons a 6-0 advantage. The Titans spoiled the shutout as Katrina Klemp's two-out single plated a pair of runners in the bottom of the inning. Heimrich issued a walk, but then struck out Castel to end the game. Heimrich improved to 4-4 with the complete-game victory. She allowed a pair of runs and eight hits, walking two batters and striking out five. For the Titans, Ollgaard went all the way, allowing six runs and 10 hits. She walked seven batters -- five of whom came around to score -- and whiffed four in dropping to 2-12 on the season. Heimrich paced the Falcons' 10-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with a run batted in. Finkel and McPherson each had a pair of hits, while Finkel had a career-high four RBI in the win, all coming with two outs. Baca, Anderson and Kernahan each scored two runs in the second-game win.
The teams combined to leave 19 runners on base in the nightcap. The Falcons will return to the state of Michigan this weekend, returning to Mid-American Conference play with a three-game series at Eastern Michigan University. The Falcons and Eagles are scheduled to play a Saturday (May 1) doubleheader and a Sunday (May 2) single game, with action beginning at 1:00 p.m. each day.
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