The BG softball team managed to sweep its northern rivals from Toledo in two games this past weekend, winning 7-1 and 3-1, respectively.
Hannah Fulk led the way for the Falcons, recording three RBIs while Melissa West finished, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run of her own.
Toledo drew first blood but it wasn’t until halfway through the contest, as the Rockets scored a run in the bottom of the fourth.
The Falcons’ bats would come alive in response starting in the fifth inning. In the top of the fifth, the Falcons would score three runs off of three hits.
Erika Stratton walked to start off the inning followed by a West single. Junior Adrienne Dick hit a single of her own, loading the bases. A Toledo error allowed Stratton to score the Falcons tying run. Fulk drove home the second run with a sacrifice fly and another Toledo error allowed the third run of the inning.
The Falcons refused to slow down as they piled on three more runs in the sixth inning to match.
West hit her second single of the game, which led to the fourth BG run of the day, and Fulk followed up with a single also driving in two more runs.
The Falcons would add another run to their lead in the seventh inning to secure the healthy BG victory at 7-1. Pitcher Jamie Kertes had three strikeouts and earned the win, as Paris Imholz picked up the save upon relieving Kertes in the fifth inning.
On Sunday the Falcons finished the weekend sweep by beating the Rockets again, 3-1.
Paris Imholz pitched the complete game, allowing just three hits and only one run in the contest, while Katie Yoho had a double as well as a run scored.
This time the Falcons got on board first in the third inning. Freshman Chloe Giordano started the inning with a single before moving to third off of two sacrifice hits. Paige Berger hit herself a single and put runners on first and third. Aggressive base running allowed Bowling Green to go for a double steal, permitting Giordano to score the first run of the game.
Toledo would respond in the fourth inning, tying the game with a run of its own.
Entering the fifth inning, the Falcons broke the deadlock with two runs on two hits to give them the 3-1 lead. Andrea Arney got to base on a fielding error followed by Yoho’s double that placed runners on second and third. Adding another BG walk loaded up the bases, before a wild pitch allowed Arney to come home. West singled and brought home the third and final run of the game.
From there on it was Imholz’s impressive pitching that held the Rockets hitless and unable to respond for the remaining three innings.
“We stayed after [Toledo] the whole game,” said head coach Shannon Salsburg. “Our team didn’t stop and they kept attacking. [Toledo] scored their one run, the very next inning we came out and we finished it. That is an important piece of what we are doing right now, responding.”
The two wins this weekend on the road improves the Falcons’ win streak to four games and gives them a 11-3 record in the Mid-American Conference. BG stands at a 29-13 record overall as they prepare for a home doubleheader against Oakland on Monday. The game starts at 3 p.m.
