Bowling Green State University
AKRON
Falcons Rip Akron for 28-4 Victory in Game One
May 18, 2002 | Baseball
May 18, 2002
Bowling Green, Ohio - The Bowling Green baseball team will play its final game of the 2002 regular season on Sunday with a chance to win the Mid-American Conference East Division and host next week's MAC Tournament. BGSU gave themselves that chance with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Akron on Saturday afternoon, 28-4 and 10-2, to improve to 17-7 in league play.
Junior Kelly Hunt began the day tied with former Falcon Lee Morrison for the single-season home record (18) and was just two bases behind him for the total-bases record in a season (149). The first baseman didn't waste any time in surpassing those records when he crushed a 2-1 pitch over the left-field wall in his first at-bat to give BGSU a 2-0 lead and himself two new school records (19 homers, 151 total bases). Junior Corey Loomis had reached with a single prior to Hunt's record-breaking home run in the first inning.
The Falcons put the game away in the second inning when they plated 14 runs in the bottom half of the frame. It marked the second time this season BGSU scored 14 runs in an inning (vs. Toledo, April 28).
In the second inning, the first seven Falcons to bat reached base. The highlights of the inning included a three-run single by Tim Newell, a two-run homer by Len Elias, a two-run homer by Loomis, a two-run double by David Barkholz, and a two-run single by Andy Hudak. BGSU collected 10 hits in the inning while Akron committed two errors.
BGSU added two runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth inning. In the fourth, Hunt hit his second homer of the game, 20th of the season, a two-run shot down the right-field line with Loomis aboard.
The Falcons added three in the fifth inning and five in the sixth inning. Hudak brought home four of the runs in the sixth frame when he hit a grand slam to right field, his ninth home run of the season.
Sophomore Kyle Knoblauch (6-1) earned his sixth win of the season, allowing just one run in six innings of work. He scattered eight hits, walked one and struck out three. Senior Brad Henry pitched the final inning, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits.
The 28 runs scored in the game were the most-ever scored by BGSU against a MAC opponent in 49 years in the conference. It was the highest run total for BGSU since scoring 29 vs. Xavier last season.
