Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
WEST VIRGINIA
Baseball Snaps Losing Streak against West Virginia
March 22, 2000 | Baseball
The Bowling Green baseball team (4-8-1) snapped a three game losing streak by posting a 12-5 victory over West Virginia in the first game of a doubleheader at Morgantown.
The Falcons jumped on the Mountaineers early, plating 10 runs on the board the first two innings. Aric Christman led off the game with a walk, moved to second on a single to left by Len Elias and scored on an Alan Gilhousen single to right. Lee Morrison followed with a double to right center which scored Elias. A Kenny Burdine sacrifice fly scored Gilhousen and one out later Matt Best singled bringing home Morrison.
In the second inning, the Brown and Orange struck for six more runs with a Christman double starting the rally. Following an Elias single and an out, Morrison lined a single to right center bringing home Christman. Burdine followed with a two-run double to right center. After a Scott Dukate fielder's choice brought home Burdine, Best walked before a wild pitch moved up both runners. An error by WVU second baseman Todd Brock off the bat of Nick Elrod brought home the final two runs of the inning.
WVU was able to post a single run in the bottom of the inning when Tim McCabe scored in the midst of Kevin Riley bouncing into a 4-6-3 double play.
BGSU put their final two runs on the board in the third when Elias scored after Morrison reached on an error by the second baseman and scored on Burdine's second double of the game. WVU managed another run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Olkowski. The Mountaineers got three more runs in the fourth on an error by Best and a two-run single to center by Nate Reeser.
For the Falcons, Tony Fontana went the entire way allowing just one earned run and 10 hits while striking out five Mountaineers for his second win of the 2000 campaign. For WVU, starter Matt Blethen was rocked early allowing eight earned runs and eight hits in just an inning and a third of work. Steve Hendren came on in relief and allowed four runs but only one earned in four and two-thirds innings before Kevin Riley finished the game off for the Mountaineers with one scoreless inning.
