Gottshall
The Bowling Green State University softball team celebrated Senior Day in style on Sunday. Seniors Sarah Gonzalez and Payton Hamm combined for three hits and three RBI as the Falcons drubbed the University of Akron, 9-0, in five innings in Mid-American Conference action at Meserve Field.
BGSU had six hits and took advantage of eight walks to score those nine runs, and the run total was eight more than Payton Gottshall needed. Gottshall threw a perfect game, retiring all 15 Akron batters that she faced.
The Falcons (25-14, 11-8 MAC) put two runners on base in each of the first two innings, but the Zips (17-26, 12-10 MAC) kept the game scoreless until the third.
In that third frame, though, Maycee Godbolt walked with the bases loaded before Sophie Weber singled to score two teammates for a 3-0 lead.
Then, in the fourth, BGSU sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring six times to break the game wide open. Bailey Sample and Reagan Williamson each drove in a run before Gonzalez doubled to plate a pair. Gonzalez would come around to score on a base hit by fellow senior Hamm.
Meanwhile, Gottshall struck out the side in both the second and third frames, en route to seven strikeouts in her five-inning perfecto. She needed just 53 pitches to pick up her 19th win of the season, throwing 39 of those 53 pitches for strikes.
