After a loss to nationally ranked Notre Dame, the Bowling Green softball team returns to Meserve field this weekend for a double header against Ohio on Friday and two single games against Akron on Saturday and Sunday.
The Ohio Bobcats are 12-22 overall and 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference. They are 2-14 in away games coming into Meserve Field.
The Bobcats have the advantage on the stat sheet against the Falcons, beating the team out in batting average, hits, doubles, and RBIs. The Falcons have one more triple than Ohio and are tied in home runs.
The Akron Zips are just under .500 with a record of 17-19 and 4-5 in the MAC. The Zips and the Falcons are almost even on the stat sheet. They are separated in hits by one, doubles by four, triples by two, homers by three, RBIs by four and tied in batting average at .254.
“This is a big weekend in the MAC for us. We have an opportunity to host 2 teams in the MAC who are currently trying to fight their way out of the middle like we are,” head coach Shannon Salsburg said. “I expect high intensity games as this weekend can really catapult one of us into a stronger position overall.”
In the team’s last series, senior pitcher Jamie Kertes earned a MAC record for career saves. The save was the first for her on the season but the 16th of her career. She currently ranks 23rd in the country in walks allowed per seven innings.
The Falcons will look to improve play on the mound after allowing their last opponent eight runs off of eight hits.
In that same game, freshman Morgan Evangelista had two of the Falcons six hits and one RBI, the only one in the game.
That RBI was the 105th of the season for the team, a number that the team is looking to improve on.
“We can’t continue to not capitalize in those situations,” Salsburg said.
The team left five batters on base in the last game, and at one point had the bases loaded and was not able to score.
The Falcons, who have been known this season to have a quick start in the first inning, saw three batters up and three down in the first inning of their last game. They saw the same in the third inning of that game.
The Bobcats enter this game as the favorite in the preseason poll to take the east division of the MAC. The double header will start at 1 p.m. on Friday.
