As the Falcons finish up their third tournament of the season, they will be returning to Bowling Green with their first winning record having won three of five over the weekend.
BG was able to start the weekend off on a high note with a victory over Northern Colorado.
The 3-hit efforts by both senior Erika Stratton and freshman Chelsea Raker were more than enough for pitcher Braiden Dillow as she earned her second win of the season.
The morning effort by the Falcons did not carry over to the evening, as BG was shut out against the host school, Ole Miss, while leaving eight runners on base. Unfortunately for the Falcons, the two runs against them were scored due to their lone error of the game ultimately costing them the win.
After a 24-hour layoff, Bowling Green returned to action Saturday night against St. Louis.
The game, however, lasted only five innings. Again leaving seven on base, the Falcons failed to capitalize on their many opportunities.
Each of the three pitchers to take the circle for the Falcons had trouble locating the strike zone, which led to the eleven runs on just ten hits as Dillow, Katie Turski and starter Jamie Kertes combined for five free walks for the game.
The women were able to rebound nicely against fellow Mid-American Conference school Buffalo with a 4-2 victory on the backend of the Saturday doubleheader.
Pitchers Dillow and Kertes were able to overcome two errors and allowed just one free pass and one earned run over seven innings.
The offense decided to spread the wealth, collecting hits from five different Falcons including Stratton, Katie Yoho, and freshmen Chelsea Raker, Trista Mokienko and Sami Parave.
This win served Buffalo their first conference loss and propelled the Falcons into first place within the conference despite a 4-8-1 record for the season.
The softball team closed out the weekend with a morning rematch against Tennessee-Martin, this time coming out victorious with their first shutout of the year.
The 2-0 victory came on the strong arms of Dillow and Kertes as Jamie Kertes secures her first win of the season. Senior outfielder Katie Yoho provided the Falcons with two of their four hits while knocking in both runs for the game.
Coach Shannon Salsburg had stated before the tournament that her ladies were very close to turning the corner and after an impressive showing this weekend, it appears the Falcons have done just that.
The softball team will look to carry this weekend’s success over into the UCF Knights Spring Fling in two weeks.
