Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Murray State
Falcons Split Doubleheader at Murray State
March 11, 2002 | Baseball
March 11, 2002
Murray, Ky. - Bowling Green snapped a four-game losing streak on Sunday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Murray State, doubling up the Thoroughbreds 8-4. The Falcons dropped game two, however, by the score of 7-5. Both games were seven-inning affairs.
BGSU battled back from early deficits in both games.
In game one, Murray State hung a four-spot in the second inning for an early 4-0 lead. The 'Breds scored the runs on three hits and on Falcon error. BGSU didn't get things going until the sixth inning when the first five Falcons reached base and a three-run homer by Nick Elrod brought them to within one, 4-3. Spencer Schmitz then flew out to right field, scoring Tim Newell from third to knot the game at 4-4.
Len Elias and Kelly Hunt hit back-to-back singles to begin the seventh inning, just as in the sixth. A wild pitch moved both of them up a base and an intentional walk to Elrod loaded the bases for Newell with just one out. The senior catcher responded with a single to left field, scoring Elias and Hunt for a 6-4 BGSU lead. Elrod later scored on a throwing error and Corey Loomis scored off of a Nate Henschen double to center field for the 8-4 advantage.
Tim Newell went 3-for-4 for Bowling Green State with a double, a run and two RBIs. Len Elias went 2-for-4 with two runs, while Kelly Hunt went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Nate Henschen went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI.
Burke Badenhop (1-0) got the win in relief, allowing no hits, striking out five in three innings of work. Kyle Knoblauch started the game for the Falcons, allowing four runs on four hits, striking out seven and walking six in four innings, with four of those walks coming in that second inning.
In game two, Bowling Green again found itself in the hole early when Murray State scored three in the second two in the third and two in the fourth for a 7-0 lead.
The Falcons fought back with five runs in the final three innings, falling two runs short. David Barkholz hit a one-out double and scored off of a Jimmy Lipari single for BGSU's first run of the game in the fifth inning. Hunt then singled in Lipari two batters later for a 7-2 deficit.
In the sixth, Henschen again doubled in a run, this time scoring Elrod from first base who had reached on a single. That was all of the scoring in the inning for BGSU and cut the deficit to 7-3. More Falcon offense in the seventh brought the visitors to within two runs when Elias doubled to begin the inning and scored on a Hunt single. The final run of the game came off of an Elrod single to left-center field, which scored Hunt. Loomis grounded into a double play to end the comeback.
Neil Schmitz (0-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits, striking out three and walking one in three innings. Brad Henry came on in the fourth, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out one and walking one in one-third of an inning. Tom Oestrike pitched the remainder of the game, allowing no hits, striking out one and walking one in 2-2/3 innings.
BGSU (2-7) continues its spring break road trip on Monday, March 11, at Austin Peay (2 p.m. EST).
