Five-Run Falcon Sixth Dooms Dartmouth

Friday, February 26

Mobile, AL

3:30 PM

Bowling Green State University

4-5

Dartmouth

0-2

Dartmouth

Bowling Green

Oct 18 2015 intrasquad - Mike Cihon photo

Freshman Kiley Sosby belted a 3-run double in the Falcons' win over Dartmouth

Photo by: BGSU Strategic Communications

February 26, 2016 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BGSU rallies for 5-1 win in Friday's opener; Falcons fall to USA in nightcap

By: MOBILE, Ala. (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University softball team put five runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth, rallying for a 5-1 win over Dartmouth College Friday afternoon (Feb. 26). The game was the Falcons' first in the South Alabama Invitational in Mobile, Ala.

BGSU-DARTMOUTH STATS: HTML | PDF
BGSU-SOUTH ALABAMA STATS: HTML | PDF

In the nightcap, host USA – a team receiving votes in both of this week's national polls – got a stellar pitching performance to silence the BG bats, 5-0.

Falcon freshman Kiley Sosby threw a complete-game four-hitter against Dartmouth, and had two hits and three RBI to aid her own cause at the plate. She allowed a home run to lead off the game, but bounced back to keep the Big Green off of the scoreboard the rest of the way. Sosby threw a complete-game four-hitter, striking out seven DC batters, and had the big blow in that five-run sixth. With the bases loaded, Sosby ripped a double to clear those bases and cap the scoring. The Sardinia, Ohio, native was 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk and that three-run double.

In the second game, USA scored all five runs over the first three innings, capped by a pair of unearned runs in the third inning. Freshman Brooke Parker gave up just two hits and no earned runs in four-plus innings of relief.

"Kiley Sosby and Brooke Parker both did a great job for us on the mound today," said Falcon head coach Sarah Willis. "Sosby was a consistent performer on the mound, keeping us in the game till we broke it open offensively in the sixth inning.

"Parker's relief outing was very successful. She kept a strong offensive line up off balance and did not allow any earned runs. That is all I can ask from our pitchers. Both freshman pitchers gave us competitive outings today and we will need that from them this season."

In BG's opener, the Big Green got off to a good start, as Katie McEachern homered to lead off the game. Dartmouth put two more runners aboard with no outs, as Lourlin Lara reached on a bunt single, then stole second before Karen Chaw walked. But, Sosby bounced back, getting a fly ball and a popup for the first two outs, then striking out Kelsey Miller to retire the side.

Dartmouth starting pitcher Lauren Stone worked out of a jam in the bottom of the first. Junior Aspen Searle, making her first start of the season, was hit by a pitch with one out, and a walk to redshirt sophomore Chelsea Raker put runners at first and second. Both runners moved into scoring position on a bunt by senior Marisa Shook, but Stone got a fly ball to right for the final out of the frame.

In the second, Sosby got Kathy Dzienkowski to hit a harmless popup to third, then struck out both Claire Bird and Brianna Lohmann. BG again left two runners on base in the bottom of the inning, as Sosby and senior Molly Holliday each singled with two outs before Stone got an inning-ending strikeout.

Sosby worked around a leadoff walk in the third inning, getting a fielder's choice, a popup and a fly ball to left. But, Stone retired the Falcons in order in the bottom of the inning. The Dartmouth leadoff batter again reached base in the fourth, as Morgan Martinelli doubled, but Sosby retired the next three hitters, throwing a third strike past Bird for the final out. But, again, Stone retired the Falcons quickly in the home half, with third baseman Miller spearing junior Trista Mokineko's liner for the final out.

Sosby mowed down the Big Green in the fifth, with a strikeout, a foul pop to left and a grounder to second. Sosby drew a leadoff walk, but Holliday's popup was grabbed by the shortstop, with pinch-runner Alex Sorgi caught off first for a double play. Senior Marina Cobbs hit a liner, but it was right at shortstop McEachern.

Dartmouth went quickly in the sixth, as Sosby retired her seventh, eighth and ninth consecutive batters.

Then, Searle doubled to left-center to lead off the bottom of the sixth, for just the third hit – and first extra-base hit – off of Stone in the game. Raker walked for the second time, and one out later, junior Haley Schrock's single loaded the bases with one out. Then, sophomore Kayla Koch's infield single scored Searle with the tying run, with the bases remaining loaded. The next hitter, Mokienko, was hit by a pitch to score Raker for a 2-1 BG lead. Sosby stepped to the plate and ripped a double down the left-field line to clear the bases. Stone got a grounder to short to end the inning, but the damage had been done.

In the Dartmouth half of the seventh, Sosby got Miller to hit a fly ball to Cobbs in right for the first out. Pinch-hitter Kassidy Williams also hit a fly ball to Cobbs, who made the catch in right-center for out number two. Bird, after striking out looking in each of her first two at-bats, doubled to keep her team's hopes alive, but Sosby squashed those DC dreams by striking out Lohmann to earn the complete-game win.

Sosby led the way at the plate, reaching base in all three appearances. The freshman was 2-for-2 with a walk, a double and three RBI. The Falcons were 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position, while Dartmouth was 0-of-7. In fact, the Big Green went 0-of-10 with runners on base.

"In addition to her pitching performance, Kiley contributed a lot for us at the plate," said Willis. "And, Aspen's hit to begin the sixth inning was a big one. It started the rally and gave us the momentum we needed."

?In the circle, Sosby threw her second complete game of the season. She walked two batters and struck out seven in improving to 3-2 on the year.

In the nightcap, USA entered the game hitting .302 as a team on the season. Falcon pitching held the Jaguars to just a .217 batting average (5-for-23) in the game, but USA pitcher Destin Vicknair was too much for BG to overcome. Vicknair threw a two-hit shutout, facing only two batters over the minimum. She struck out nine batters and walked just one.

Parker, as mentioned, had a solid relief effort, going four and two-thirds innings in the circle and allowing only two hits and zero earned runs. She walked three batters and struck out three.

The home team took an early lead with a pair of first-inning runs. Senior Emily Messer – who entered the game hitting .615 – drew a leadoff walk and stole second. Messer moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kaleigh Todd, then scored on Stephanie Pilkington's single up the middle. Falcon starter Braiden Dillow induced a fly ball to right for the second out, but Pilkington took third on a wild pitch, and Haleigh Lane singled to make it a 2-0 game. Dillow then got Alex Breeden to strike out swinging to end the inning.

Vicknair retired the side in order in each of the first two innings. The Jaguars' Savanna Mayo homered with one out in the bottom of the inning, and Parker entered the circle. She whiffed Megan Harris, and got Messer to foul out to catcher Morgan Evangelista for the third out.

The home half of the third saw Todd reach on an infield error and Pilkington walk. Parker got Kristian Foster to fly out to Shook in left, and Lane popped up to sophomore Katee Hinkle at short. But, with two down, Breeden doubled to plate a pair of unearned runs and make it a 5-0 game.

BGSU's first baserunner of Friday's second game came when Cobbs led off the fourth with an infield hit. But, Vicknair got both Hinkle and Raker to hit grounders that resulted in force plays at second, and another ground ball off the bat of Shook resulted in the third out.

Mayo walked to begin the USA fifth, but Parker struck out Harris for the second time in as many at-bats, and the Falcon freshman got Messer to hit a fly ball to Sorgi – making her first career start – in center. Todd reached on a bunt single, but a Pilkington popup produced out number three.

Evangelista reached base on a bunt single with two outs in the fifth, but Vicknair got a strikeout to retire the side. But, Parker set down the Jaguars in order in the bottom of the inning, getting Tucker Caraway on a swinging strikeout for the third out. In the sixth, Parker worked around a one-out walk, getting a pair of grounders to retire the side.

Vicknair, who had allowed only a pair of runners on infield hits over the first six innings, issued a walk to Raker to lead off the seventh, but struck out the next batter. Then, Schrock scorched a liner to short, but the ball was caught by Foster, who fired to first to double up Raker for the final out.

"Vicknair is a very solid pitcher," said Willis. "We will need to adjust our offensive approach to the plate sooner when facing that level of pitching in the future. We will come out tomorrow with the plan to adjust pitch by pitch."

The Falcons, now 4-6 on the season, return to Jaguar Field for a pair of games on Saturday (Feb. 27). BGSU will face Dartmouth at 11:00 a.m. ET and Wichita State at 1:15 p.m. ET, concluding a stretch of four games in roughly 24 hours. Then, the Brown and Orange will face WSU again on Sunday morning (Feb. 28) at 11:00 a.m. ET to conclude play at the South Alabama Invitational.