AKRON, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University softball team dropped an 11-1 decision against the host University of Akron on Sunday. The Mid-American Conference matchup was held at Lee R. Jackson Field.
The Falcons (8-30, 1-17 MAC) got on the scoreboard first, with back-to-back one-out hits in the top half of the opening inning. Peyton Dolejs crushed a ball to the wall in left for a double, and scored easily when Sophie Weber followed with a sharp single up the middle.
BGSU held the Zips (25-15, 13-7 MAC) scoreless through two innings, before UA scored four times on six singles and an error in the third. Then, a pair of errors aided the Zips’ cause in the fourth inning, as the hosts scored seven times, including four earned runs.
Four of Akron’s 10 hits in the game were bunt singles, as the only two extra-base hits in the contest belonged to the Falcons.
The Falcons scored a first-inning run, as Peyton Dolejs doubled with one out, and Sophie Weber followed with an RBI single up the middle against Akron starter Haley Croyle.
Sydney Stepp blanked the Zips for the first two innings, allowing only one hit – a bunt single – during that time. Delaney Davis had a diving catch in shallow right for an inning-ending play during that time. But, the hosts broke through in the third.
With the Falcons employing a shift, Brooke Sivek led off the UA third with a bunt. The throw to first was wide of the bag, and the ball rolled down the right-field line as Sivek came all the way around to score on the error.
A bunt single by McChesney was followed by Megan Lee’s run-scoring single that gave the hosts the lead. Laurel DeVoe and Abigail Scheller each had RBI hits in the inning as well.
Then, in the fourth, a walk, a bunt single and another base on balls put three UA runners aboard, before Lee’s bloop single plated a pair. A ground ball produced another run, and with two outs, a bases-loaded error led to two unearned runs, and a Madison Dudek single plated two more unearned runs.
Ally Bezjak singled and Davis walked in the fifth, but reliever Olivia Otani got out of the inning unscathed, and the Zips had the win.
Dolejs was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run, while Weber had an RBI single.
Maycee Godbolt, who homered and doubled in Saturday’s second game in Akron, had another double on Sunday.
• For the Zips, Lee was 3-for-3 with two RBI, while Sivek went 2-for-4. All 10 of Akron’s hits were singles, including four via bunts.
BGSU will return home to prepare for next weekend’s Ball State series. The Falcons and Cardinals are slated to play a Friday single game and a Saturday double-dip at Meserve Field.
