In softball you can never really say what would have happened if something else did not happen. Unfortunately the BG softball team is wondering what would have happened.
Two untimely errors resulted in two unearned runs for Michigan State as they beat the visiting Falcons Tuesday night 2-1. The loss drops BG’s record to 23-15.
“It was unfortunate we made a couple mistakes in the third inning,” said BG coach Leigh Ross. “Errors happen in a game, it was just too bad the errors we made were all in the same inning.”
Hayley Wiemer was once again outstanding on the mound, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out five. It was Wiemer’s third straight start without giving up an earned run. She also drove in the Falcons’ lone run.
“Hayley’s game is pretty simple, keep the ball down, move it in and out, and hit her spots, and right now she is doing all of that, which is making her tough,” Ross said. “Her ankle is still a little tender, but she is still getting the job done.”
All of the scoring happened in the third inning for both teams. BG’s Megan Mcpherson singled with one out. After another out she stole second and Wiemer stepped up to the plate. Wiemer doubled her home and Gina Rango followed with a single – her 237th career hit – building on the career hit record she broke over the weekend.
The Spartans would get out of the inning with minimal damage, though, with the Falcons up 1-0.
Michigan State then came up to bat in the home half of the inning. A single and a walk put runners on first and second base and a passed ball advanced the runner from second to third. An error loaded the bases for Michigan State, and another error immediately after that scored a run and kept the bags full. A fielder’s choice play to home got a runner out but kept the bases loaded. Another fielder’s choice, this time to third, scored another run, pushing the Spartans ahead 2-1 before Wiemer could get out of the inning.
“Our offense knows it has struggled lately, but we’re still of the opinion that seeing good pitching on a consistent basis by playing such a tough non-conference schedule will continue to make us better for our MAC run,” Ross said.
BG has committed 10 errors in its past three games and it came back to haunt them in this one. After the third inning melee, MSU did not advance a runner past second base.
The loss drops the Falcons to 1-4 against the Big Ten this season. The only win came against Purdue on March 18. Last season the Falcons were 2-3 against the conference.
The team will return to conference play this Friday as they’ll take on Ball State in an afternoon double-header in Muncie, Ind. They’ll head to Oxford after that to face Miami in a weekend series.
