The Bowling Green softball team was held to one-hit and allowed three home runs as they lost to Michigan, the nation’s top-ranked team, 6-0 yesterday.
BG (10-17) was unable to match the power of the Wolverines, who won for the 32nd consecutive time this season as they improved to 32-1 on the year.
Nicole Motycka, Lorilyn Wilson and Jennie Ritter, who all have earned run averages under 1.00, combined to pitch seven scoreless innings for the Wolverines while totaling eight strikeouts.
“Their ball just moves probably better than any pitcher we’ve seen so far,” Falcons head coach Leigh-Ross Shaw said of Motycka, Wilson and Ritter.
“I think (we) were swinging at bad pitches, and we weren’t having good at bats. When we are at practice, we have the same kind of pitching coming in and they’re a little more relaxed, but we really did panic at the plate.”
Liz Vrabel went the distance for the Falcons, notching her eighth complete game of the year, allowing all six runs on 12 hits. She also struck out five batters.
Vrabel kept BG in the game until the seventh when the Wolverines struck big on a solo shot from Tiffany Haas and two-run home run from Samantha Findlay to up UM’s lead to six.
“I think at the end (of the game), their hitters just started getting a little looser and started swinging a little more freely,” Ross-Shaw said of the Wolverines’ late strike.
Jessica Merchant’s solo homerun to left-center in the top of the first inning put Michigan up one early. It was Merchant’s 11th homer of the year.
Gina Rango had the lone hit for BG on an infield single in the first inning. She was able to advance to second base on a throwing error by Haas, but that would be as far as any Falcons baserunner would advance in the game.
Motycka helped provide run support for herself as she led the team with three hits and scored a run. Haas, Findlay and Merchant each had two hits in the game. Findlay and Merchant also had two runs batted in a piece.
The three homeruns for Michigan improved their team total to 47 this year, while they have allowed just four to opposing batters.
The Falcons travel to play a three-game series at Northern Illinois this weekend.
