WMU vs. BGSU Game Stats - Game 1

WMU vs. BGSU Game Stats - Game 2

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Western Michigan softball team split its doubleheader at Bowling Green on Friday afternoon, defeating the Falcons in game one at Meserve SB Field by a score of 3-1 before falling in the second game, 5-1.  Meredith Whitney pitched her third complete game of the Mid-American Conference season and fifth of the year, striking out nine batters to earn the victory.

The Broncos were held hitless until the top of the fourth when Michelle Bendewald (2-for-3) doubled to score Whitney, who had reached on an error earlier in the inning.  It was WMU's second run of the frame.  Its first run came when Whitney reached on the fielding error to score Chelsea Westenburg.  Westenburg was pinch running for Meghan Thomas, also registering a hit in three at bats during the game, who drew a two-out walk to get the rally started.

Western Michigan added another run in the top of the fifth, this time on a bases loaded walk.  With two outs, Diana Patterson singled to right center field.  Sarah Thomas earned a walk and was pinch ran for by Courtney Burnett.  With runners on first and second, Jenn Tschetter also earned a walk, loading the bags.  Gracie Barstad was the recipient of the RBI when she drew a walk to put three on the board for the Broncos.

Whitney's only mistake of the game came in the bottom of the sixth when she gave up a solo home run, stopping her chance at her first solo shutout of the season.  She finished with a season-matching nine strikeouts while scattering four hits in seven innings of work.

Despite not picking up its first hit of the second game until the fourth inning, WMU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth.  Courtney Rousseau pinch ran for Molly Lange who had led off the inning with a walk.  She advanced to second when Kayla Houston was called out at first and scored on Patterson's single to right field, her second hit of the day.

Bowling Green answered in the home half of the inning, scoring three runs on a triple and a single in back-to-back at bats.  The Falcons tacked on two more in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out double to center field.  Western Michigan one base runner after scoring its run in the fifth and was shut down in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.

The Broncos travel a very short distance, 26.06 miles north on I-75 to be exact, from Bowling Green to the University of Toledo where they will take on the Rockets in a two-game series beginning Saturday at 2 p.m.