May 8, 2008

Final Stats

AKRON, Ohio - Finally after two extra inning games and gloomy weather the BGSU softball finally got their revenge on Ohio with a 3-1 victory in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. The Bobcats were the only team in the MAC to sweep the Falcons in the regular season.

Junior hurler Hayley Wiemer earned her 12th conference victory in her 12th start in MAC play fanning four batters and only walking one in seven innings of work. Wiemer and the Falcon defense kept the Bobcats scoreless for five innings only giving up four hits on the night.

The Falcon offense was led by Dawnjene DeLong hitting two-for-three, driving in the first Falcon run and scoring the winning run for BG. Fellow senior Allison Vallas went one-for-three with a 1.333 slugging percentage, crushing the game winning two run homer, her sixth long ball of the season and 18th career homer. Also recording a hit against the Bobcats were Susan Sontag and Missy Bowman.

Despite the Falcons getting their bats started early as lead-off hitter DeLong and Sontag hit back-to-back singles in the bottom of the first both teams were scoreless for the first four innings as a pitching and defensive duel took place.

The Orange and Brown struck first putting up three runs on the score board in the bottom of the fifth. The Falcon bats got going as freshman Haleigh Bielstein was given first after being hit by a pitch in the knee. Bielstein advanced to second on a wild pitch and then Zada Lines came in to pinch run for Bielstein. With no outs and Lines on second DeLong smashed a hard line drive single up the middle to score Lines giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead over the Bobcats. In Falcon style with two outs, a full count and DeLong on third, Vallas blasted a two run homer that soared over the center field fence to extend the Falcons lead 3-0 over the Bobcats.

The Bobcats came back in the top of the sixth to score one run off of a single and a sacrifice fly but that was the only run they would score as the inning ended with a runner interference call as Bielstein was taken out at second base attempting to field a ground ball.

The Falcons answered back as Bowman crushed a lead-off double in the bottom of the sixth but BG wasn't able to score.

Wiemer and the Falcons dominated in the top of the seventh retiring the side one, two, three to defeat the Bobcats, 3-1 and advance to the next round of the tournament unscathed.

The Falcons are set to take on #7 seeded Ball State, Thursday (May 8) at 5:00 p.m. at Firestone Stadium. Earlier this season the Falcons swept Ball State in Muncie Indiana, 3-0 and 8-4.

Ball State - Cardinals (5/8 - 5:00 p.m.)
Ball State finished the season 34-30 overall and 9-11 in the MAC, third in the West division earning the #7 seed ... the Falcons have won 19 of the last 22 meetings between the two teams and are on a 15 game winning streak against the Cardinals with their last loss to Ball State in 2002 ... the Falcons lead the all-time series 46-27 over the Cardinals ... earlier this season the Falcons swept the Cardinals in a two game series in Muncie, Indiana (3-0, 8-4), earning BG's first sweep of an opponent.

BGSU vs. Ball State in the MAC Tournament
1982 BGSU defeated Ball State, 1-0 in Kalamazoo, Mich. 2001 Ball State defeated BGSU, 3-2 in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.

SHE'S A 10 AND SOME
Falcon's short stop #10 Dawnjene DeLong is definitely a 10 in any score book. DeLong is currently on an eight game hitting streak, recording 14 hits in the last eight games with five multiple hit performances. DeLong is also a scoring machine for the Orange and Brown as she has driven home at least one run and scored at least one run in the last four games.

WIEMER TOP IN THE NATION
Hayley Wiemer is not only at the top of the MAC but also ranked at the top of the nation in multiple categories. Wiemer is the most walked player in the MAC as well as the seventh most walked player in the nation (0.85 per game) and leads the MAC and is 28th in nation for homer per game (11, 0.28 oer game). She also finds herself ranked in pitching categories as the top pitcher in the MAC and the seventh in the nation for the fewest walks allowed per seven innings as she averages only giving up 0.92 walks per seven innings. Other categories that Wiemer is ranked in the top 100 in the nation are on base percentage as she leads the MAC and is 50th in the nation (0.485), second in the MAC in slugging percentage and 59th in the nation (.693) and fourth in the MAC in ERA and 97th in the nation with a 1.99 ERA.

As a team the Falcons are ranked in the top 100 of nation in two categories. The Orange and Brown are 52nd in home runs averaging 0.74 per game and 54th in doubles averaging 1.31 doubles per game.

WALK IT OUT WIEMER
Junior Hayley Wiemer is known for her big stick making opposing pitchers think twice about throwing to her as she is the most walked player in the Mid-American Conference and seventh most walked hitter in the nation as she has been given first base 34 times, setting a new BGSU single season record for walks. Wiemer is now the all-time most walked Falcon as she has been given first 84 times in her career.

THE FALCON RALLY CAW
Most opponents think when they have two outs in an inning, the inning is just about over but when the Falcons are at the plate they are only getting started. The Falcons have scored 61 of their 122 RBIs on two-out rallies.

ROOKIE BATS ON HOT STREAK
The Falcon rookies' bats have gotten hot as all of the eight freshman have recorded at least one hit while combined they have totaled 90 of the Falcons' 245 hits. The seniors are the only class to have more hits than rookies as they have combined for 104 of the Falcons hits.

Game 5 - #4 Miami vs. #8 Akron - 11:00 a.m.
Game 6 - #1 Kent State vs. #5 Western Michigan - 1:30 p.m.
Game 7 - #7 Ball State vs. #3 Bowling Green - 5:00 p.m.
Game 8 - #2 Central Michigan vs. #6 Ohio - 7:30 p.m.