By Nicholas Huenefeld

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

M.J. Walters went the opposite way for a walk-off two-run single with the bases loaded on Thursday to give the Bowling Green softball team a 5-4 upset at home of seventh-ranked Springfield.

“It’s a great feeling,” Walters said. “We’re really coming together as a team. This was a big win for us. We’re really proud.”

Walters, who just saw her team go down a run in the top of the seventh, stepped to the plate after seeing Ella White intentionally walked in front of her to re-load the bases.

The senior then capped an eight-pitch at bat by driving a 3-2 pitch through the right side, scoring Hannah Yarger and Maddie Bernal to set off the celebration for Bowling Green (11-8, 5-4 NLL)

“I was pretty angry, but I decided to use it as motivation,” Walters said. “I could feel my team behind me really needing the energy. All I could really think was that I was hitting the ball. It was a 3-2 count, and I knew I was getting on base.

“At the beginning of the game, they were getting me pretty bad with the outside pitch so I was trying to focus on that and adjust my swing. I was fouling it off to the right side the whole time because she was just throwing me outside after outside.”

Zoe Ziems, Yarger and Hannah Sayler started the rally with back-to-back-to-back singles leading off the BG seventh. A pitcher to home to first double play then quelled some of the momentum, but the intentional walk to White set the stage for Walters.

The Bobcat offense produced 12 hits and averaged over two baserunners per inning against Springfield’s Callee Chappetta as seven different players recorded at least one hit.

The attack was led by Yarger, the team’s centerfielder who went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. White and Walters split the other four runs knocked in. Sayler, White and Brynn Wilhelm tacked on multi-hit performances, as well.

“We knew we could (win) but it’s one thing to say you can, it’s another thing to do it, so I’m super proud of our team,” Bowling Green head coach Cassie Nauman said. “That’s one through 10 that we had in the dugout. We faced adversity with an injury this week and we got it done. We’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs the past few weeks, but I’m happy today was an up.”

The outcome was even more impressive considering Bowling Green trailed 3-0 through four and a half innings as Springfield (14-6, 6-3 NLL) scored single runs in the first, third and fifth innings, which included the game’s lone home run by Chappetta.

The Bobcats knotted the game with three runs in the fifth. Sammie Trimpey singled, and Ziems walked with one out. Yarger followed by delivering an RBI single to center for BG’s first run.

Another single and a strikeout loaded the bases with two outs for White, who then hit a low line drive to left at Springfield’s Hannah Schlachter, who laid out in front, but failed to reel it in as two runs came across to tie the game.

“I think the biggest thing today was that we got timely hits at timely times,” Nauman said. “We had a lot of baserunners. We only scored five runs, but the amount of baserunners we had today was huge. I think we could have scored even more runs, so we’re not done. We’re going to keep pushing.”

Ziems tossed a 92-pitch complete game in the circle for Bowling Green, scattering eight hits while walking none with five strikeouts.

“I think today was one of the best defensive days that we’ve had yet,” Nauman said. “We’ve been preaching it over and over. I knew it was coming. I hope that we can lock it in and stay with it.

“Zoe pitched a great game, but there were a lot of balls still in play today and our defense worked together. A lot of people had putouts, a lot of people were moving their feet and making plays. That’s when we’re at our best.”