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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
AKRON
BGSU MAC Champions - Will Host 2002 MAC Tournament
May 19, 2002 | Baseball
May 19, 2002
Bowling Green, Ohio - Bowling Green State University defeated Akron on Sunday afternoon, 12-9, at Warren Steller Field in the Falcons' final regular-season game. Kent State split a doubleheader at Miami, losing game two 4-1, to make the Falcons the MAC Regular-Season Champions and the No. 1-seed in next week's MAC Tournament, hosted by BGSU at Steller Field.
The tournament matchups will feature...
#1 Bowling Green vs. #6 Miami
#2 Eastern Michigan vs. #5 Central Michigan
#3 Kent State vs. #4 Ball State
Bowling Green overcame a 9-5 deficit with four runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to post a 12-9 win over visiting Akron on Sunday at Warren Steller Field. A Kent State loss later in the day at Miami (4-1) earned the Falcons the 2002 Mid-American Conference regular season championship and a No.1-seed in next week's MAC Tournament (May 22-25). BGSU will serve as the host.
Junior Kelly Hunt hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, a three-run blast to right-center field, giving BGSU a 11-9 lead. Tim Newell (single) and Corey Loomis (walk) were on base when Hunt hit a 3-2 pitch over the right-field wall. It was Hunt's 22nd home run of the season and gave him 80 RBIs. Senior Len Elias added an RBI-double to left-center field, scoring Nick Elrod, for the final run of the game.
Sophomore Neil Schmitz (4-1) struck out the side in the ninth inning to give BGSU its 17th home win of the year (17-3 at home). Schmitz entered the game in relief with two outs in the seventh inning. He allowed just one hit with no runs and no walks while striking out five batters.
Akron had scored six runs in the top of the sixth inning for an 8-4 lead and added another run in the seventh inning.
The Zips got on the board first with a run in the second inning. BGSU took the lead in the third inning with two runs off of a bases-loaded double by Elrod, scoring Hunt and Newell.
Akron tied the game, 2-2, in the fourth inning and BGSU retook the lead in the fifth inning with two more runs. The first run came when Andy Hudak and Loomis pulled off a double-steal, scoring Loomis from third base. Then Elrod singled to right field, scoring Hudak for a 4-2 BGSU lead.
Freshman Burke Badenhop started the game for BGSU, pitching five and two-third innings. He allowed 10 hits and five runs with three walks and six strikeouts. Ryan Lindquist and Tom Oestrike were middle relievers before Schmitz entered the game.
BGSU's six seniors were honored before the start of the game, including pitchers Brad Henry, Kevin Stock and Keith Williams, and position players Tim Newell, Len Elias and Nick Elrod. Elrod finished 4-for-4 with three RBIs while Elias became the school's all-time leader in hits when he singled to right field in the second inning, giving him 252 hits. He finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the game. Newell was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
BGSU (31-20 overall, 18-7 MAC) will play the No. 6-seed on Wednesday, May 22, at either 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. in the first round of the MAC Tournament. The tournament is a six-team, double-elimination format that begins on Wednesday and runs through Saturday. Tickets for the tournament will be able to be purchased at Steller Field on Wednesday.
