Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Detroit
BGSU Withstands Detroit Rally, Wins 5-4
April 07, 2004 | Baseball
April 7, 2004
Bowling Green, Ohio - Bowling Green held of a late rally by Detroit-Mercy to preserve a 5-4 win at Warren Steller Field on Wednesday afternoon. The victory moves the Falcons to 14-6 overall and 5-1 on their home diamond.
Left-handed reliever Neil Schmitz entered with two outs and runners on first and third and a three-run Falcon lead. The senior gave up two hits and two runs (credited to Tyler Johnson), but held tough and picked up his fourth save of the season and BGSU career-leading 14th.
After the Titans scored a run in the first inning, BGSU reeled off a run in each of the first three innings to stake a 3-1 edge. Senior David Barkholz led off the home half of the first inning with a double, moved to third base via a sacrifice bunt by Dash Yost, and came home on the first of two sacrifice flies by Andy Hudak.
Eric Lawson then scored in the second inning after reaching via a bloop single and later scoring on a throwing error. Barkholz again got things going in the third inning by receiving a leadoff walk, stealing second base, moving to third base thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Yost and scoring on another sacrifice fly by Hudak.
UDM plated a run in the sixth inning to cut its deficit to 3-2 before BGSU opened its lead back up with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Barkholz hit a one-out triple to left-center, scoring Kevin Longstreth from first base, and then scored on a suicide squeeze by Jimmy Lipari for a 5-2 lead.
The Titans scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to make it close, but Neil Schmitz slammed the door.
Barkholz finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI.
Freshman Greg Mentrek (2-0) picked up the win since it was predetermined that BGSU would use several pitchers. In all, BGSU used seven different hurlers in the non-conference, midweek contest. Mentrek pitched the most of any, throwing three full innings and allowing just one run on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts.
Bob Lothian (1-4) earned the loss despite lasting eight innings and giving up just four earned runs on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts.
The Falcons improve to 14-6 overall while UDM drops to 4-18 overall. BGSU takes to the road for a three-game, Mid-American Conference series against the University at Buffalo in New York (April 9-11). Friday's game begins at 3 p.m. in Buffalo while Saturday and Sunday's game are scheduled for 1 p.m.
