Fans of offense didn’t have all that much to cheer about in Bowling Green’s matchup with Northern Lakes
League leader Anthony Wayne on Wednesday.
But after the game the Bobcats didn’t seem to mind.
BG’s Casey Akenberger pitched a four-hit shutout and Paityn Marshall drove in the game’s only run as the
Bobcat softball team notched a 1-0 win over the Generals at BGHS.
With the win BG improved to 15-8 overall and 8-4 in the NLL, still mathematically alive in the league
race. AW, ranked 10th in the latest Division I state poll, dropped to 19-3, 8-2.
The win avenged an earlier loss to AW this season, when BG let a three-run lead slip away in a 5-4 defeat
on April 20.
“We really didn’t give it away the last time, (AW) just made some key plays and key hits at the right
times to come battling back and took that from us,” BG coach Jim Cress said of the teams’ earlier
meeting. “Obviously it’s a huge win. They’re at the top of the league right now and they’re
state-ranked, and deserving I believe. They’re a very good team.”
It was the second big win in as many nights for the Bobcats, who beat Perrysburg to win the Division I
sectional title on Tuesday.
“It’s huge for our program. It’s huge for our girls,” Cress said. “Coupled with the win last night in the
sectional against Perrysburg, the girls are getting a tremendous amount of confidence and they deserve
it.
“They’re putting it together at the right time. We just hope we can keep it going.”
Akenberger was effective in changing locations and speeds with her pitches, limiting a formidable AW
lineup to four hits, all singles, in the game. The Generals only had one runner reach third base.
“You can’t win if you can’t score any runs, and we talked about it and we talked about it but we did not
get it done today,” AW coach Carolyn Vogtsberger said. “They’re a good team. I’ve said that from the
beginning. People didn’t give them any credit, but they showed they can beat all the big teams. I credit
them.”
Akenberger finished with four strikeouts and only one walk, as junior catcher Hayley Williford and her
classmate teamed up to call a very good game.
“We just mixed up speeds a lot and that helped,” Akenberger said. “The first time we played they pretty
much crushed it. We just knew from that what not to throw … And I have great defense to back me up, so
no matter what I throw I know they’ve got my back.”
“She had a good mix of pitches. She kept them off-balance with different locations and off-speed every
now and then,” Cress said. “(AW) is a strong lineup all the way through, and I think that does say a lot
for the type of pitching she did tonight.”
BG managed just two base hits in the game, but Marshall’s two-out single in the second to drive in Kara
Maxey proved to be the difference. Maxey had reached on a leadoff walk, then was sacrificed to second by
Allie Smith. After AW pitcher Emily Kurfis recorded a strike out, one of her 11 in the game, Marshall
lined a sharp single to center to score Maxey and put BG up 1-0.
“Paityn had a very timely two-out hit. That was a huge,” Cress said.
Akenberger retired nine of 10 batters to finish the game.
“It just shows how competitive we are in this league and how we can go really far this year,” Akenberger
said. “This is the first time I’ve ever beat (AW) in high school, so it’s awesome.”
The Bobcats have NLL games at Rossford Friday and at home against Perrysburg on Monday to finish the
regular season. BG meets Sandusky in the district semifinals at Tiffin University May 18 at 5 p.m.
SOFTBALL
BGHS 1, ANTHONY WAYNE 0
ANTHONY WAYNE
000 000 0—0 4 1
BGHS 010 000 X—1 2 1
BATTLING LEADERS
HITS — (AW) George 2, Bores, Shook; (BG) Williford, Marshall. RUNS — (BG) Maxey. RBI — (BG) Marshall. SB
— Maxey, Akenberger. SAC (AW) Kurfis 2, Megyesi; (BG) Smith, Murnen. LOB — Anthony Wayne 6, Bowling
Green 7.
PITCHING SUMMARY
IP H R ER BB SO
Anthony Wayne
Kurfis (LP) 6 2 1 1 6 11
BGHS
Akenberger (WP) 7 4 0 0 1 4