After having its eleventh cancelled game this season, the Falcon softball team will travel back to Dayton to face Wright State.
“It’s been a bummer, it’s been quite a year of cancellations,” coach Shannon Salsburg said. “I think that the way it did impact us, and we are working through that, we were having a hard time finding consistency.”
BG returned from Dayton five days ago after sweeping the Dayton Flyers in two games. Since then, the Falcons cancelled their double header home-opener against Oakland University.
“I hope April is kinder than March was,” Salsburg said. “But it’s part of the game and you need to work through that. Mother Nature 1, BG 0.”
With the sweep of the Flyers, the Falcons earned two Mid-American Conference players of the week with senior Hannah Fulk and pitcher Paris Imholz taking the honors.
Fulk had a .600 batting average including a home run in the Dayton double header while scoring three runs.
Imholz continues to lead the pitching corps for BG. Imholz pitched her fourth complete game and third shutout in the 3-0 win over Dayton. She is 7-1 on the season and this is the second straight MAC pitcher of the week honors for her.
“I think [Imholz] has presence and confidence,” Salsburg said. “She grabs the ball and she is ready to go. She always was, but I think she has just taken it to another level.”
Against Wright State, the Falcons are 9-2 overall with their last meeting occurring this past season resulting in a 13-1 win for BG. Imholz picked up her first career win as a freshman in that game.
The accolades for Imholz don’t stop there. As a sophomore, the pitcher has already earned nine saves in her career, setting a Bowling Green all-time record. Sophomore pitcher Jamie Kertes has six saves in her career.
“I’m in a really good place, I think the team is in a really good place,” Imholz said. “I know that when the team behind me is confident I am that much more in-tune with my pitches.”
The Raiders are 3-14 this season having played just as many games as the Falcons despite cancellations. Wright State has yet to face any Horizon League competition much like the Falcons are still a week out from facing MAC opponents, however the Raiders have faced MAC foe Central Michigan. The Chippewas won 3-2.
The game will be the Raiders’ home opener Friday. The first game will start at 2 p.m.
