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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
BGSU Defeats Central Michigan, 6-3
April 13, 2003 | Baseball
April 13, 2003
Mt. Pleasant, Mich. - Bowling Green used a four-run third inning and strong pitching, while holding off a Central Michigan rally, to defeat the host Chippewas, 6-3, on Sunday afternoon in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. BGSU evened its league record to 4-4 with the win and salvaged a series split.
The Falcons broke open a 1-0 advantage with four runs in the third inning to take a 5-0 lead. David Barkholz led off the big inning with a single to right field. He moved to second base after Nolan Reimold was hit by a pitch. Kelly Hunt followed with a two-run double to right-center field for a 3-0 lead. After Kevin Longstreth reached via a walk, Jeff Warnock hit an opposite-field single to left field, scoring Hunt for a 4-0 lead and moving Longstreth to third base. Spencer Schmitz plated the final run of the inning with a sacrifice bunt, scoring Longstreth.
BGSU added another run in the sixth inning with an RBI-single by Hunt, scoring Barkholz, for a 6-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Falcon starter Keith Laughlin was cruising on the mound. The left-hander struck out nine in the first six innings, a new career-high and a season-high for all BGSU pitchers. CMU had just four singles in those first six innings.
However, the Chippewas scored three runs with two outs in the seventh inning to cut the Falcon lead in half. Sophomore Tom Oestrike entered in relief of Laughlin in the seventh inning with two outs and a runner on second base. The right-hander struck out Brian Lautzenheiser for the final out of the inning and stopped the Chippewa rally.
Closer Neil Schmitz then entered with a runner on first base and no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, promptly getting CMU power-hitter Mike Gates to ground into a double play. He only allowed one runner to reach in the ninth inning to close out the Falcon victory and pick up his second save of the season.
Laughlin improved his record to 3-1 overall. The three runs given up were the first in MAC competition for Laughlin, who owns a 1.98 ERA in 13.2 innings of work against league opponents.
Hunt finished 3-for-5 at the plate with four RBI. His two-run double marked the seventh-straight game that the first baseman has pounded out a two-base hit. He leads the Falcons with eight doubles this year.
BGSU improves to 9-13 overall and 4-4 in the MAC. CMU fell to 10-15 overall and 2-4 in the MAC. The Falcons host two non-conference games this week when IPFW comes to Bowling Green on Tuesday, April 15 (3 p.m.) and Wright State comes to town on Wednesday, April 16 (3 p.m.).
