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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
TOLEDO
Falcon Baseball Completes Sweep, Defeats Toledo, 15-6
April 22, 2001 | Baseball
April 22, 2001
TOLEDO, Ohio - Bowling Green (28-10, 15-4 MAC) completed a four-game sweep Sunday afternoon (April 22) at Toledo's Scott Park, pounding 19 hits against the UT Rockets (19-22, 5-10 MAC) en route to a 15-6 victory.
The start of the game was delayed for approximately an hour and a half, but the Falcons stepped up right away offensively. BG scored at least one run in each of the first six innings, while also adding a five-run eighth inning, to out-hit the Rockets as Falcon pitching was also on the mark.
Bowling Green first scored as sophomore 1B Kelly Hunt (3-6, 2 RBI) smacked an RBI single to centerfield. Two more runs came in the second, courtesy of a single by junior 2B Nick Schmidt. Bowling Green's first of four homeruns came in the third inning when senior 3B Scott Dukate smacked his 10th round-tripper of the season, a solo shot. Bowling Green would add solo homeruns in the fifth from senior RF Lee Morrison (2-5, 1 RBI) and the eighth inning from Hunt (12). Later in that eighth frame, junior C Tim Newell (4-5, 5 RBI) crushed an 0-2 pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam.
Junior SS Nick Elrod (4-6, 4 R, 1 RBI) and senior CF Aric Christman (2-5, 1 RBI, 1 R, 3 SB) also had outstanding offensive days for the Falcons.
The Rockets scored in four innings, with a run in the first, two in the fifth, one in the sixth and a pair in the eighth. Rocket 3B Mike Meinhart had three hits, while 2B J.D. Foust added in two. CF Tony Miller also stole his 26th base of the season.
Freshman LHP Keith Laughlin (2-1) started for the Falcons. He gave up only four runs and one walk, while fanning five batters in six innings of play. Senior RHP Brian Thacker came on to relieve Laughlin, and held the Rockets to only one earned run on just two hits. Laughlin was awarded the victory, as Thacker earned his first save of the 2001 campaign.
FALCON NOTES
Lee Morrison's homerun in the fifth inning extended his hitting streak to 12 consecutive games, the most this season for a Falcon.
Bowling Green hit .431 as a team against Toledo this weekend, scoring 64 runs and posting 72 hits.
Falcon hitters clubbed 17 homers in the four-game sweep of the Rockets.
Bowling Green improves the team season batting average to .359, one of the top averages in the nation.
The Falcons have scored at least 13 runs in each of the last six MAC contests, and BGSU has totalled 10 runs or more in 12 of the last 13 games. During that 13-game span, the Falcons have a total of 206 runs, for an incredible average of 15.8 runs per game. BG is averaging 9.87 runs per contest in 38 games this season, including 12.7 in the 19 MAC games.
Bowling Green will head to South Bend, Ind., to face nationally ranked Notre Dame this Tuesday (April 24). The Falcons will challenge the Fighting Irish at 6:05 p.m., and will then return home for a non-conference outing against Siena Heights at 3:00 p.m. at Steller Field.
