Bowling Green State University
AKRON
BGSU's Season Ends With 3-0 Loss to Akron at the MAC Tournament.
May 26, 2005 | Baseball
May 26, 2005
Oxford, Ohio - Bowling Green's season came to an end on Thursday morning at McKie Field in Oxford, Ohio, with a 3-0 loss to Akron at the 2005 Mid-American Conference Tournament. The loss ended BGSU's season at 33-18 while Akron advanced in the tourney with a 25-28 record.
The game started well enough for BGSU as Eric Lawson reached on a walk by Akron's Tom Farmer and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Jeff Warnock. For Warnock, it was his 16th sacrifice hit of the season and school record 18th overall sacrifice. However, Andy Hudak lined out to left-fielder Marcus Geiselman, who made a nice play and doubled up Lawson at second base to end the inning.
Nolan Reimold began the second inning with a 12-pitch walk, fouling off seven pitches by Farmer. After Josh Stewart singled to left field, putting runners on first and second, Steve Raszka's sacrifice attempt failed as Akron threw out Reimold at third base. Then a double-play ball hit by Josh Dietz nearly scored a run. An errant relay throw to first base rolled to the fence, but first baseman Kurt Davidson was able to throw out Stewart at home plate for the third out of the inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, UA's Doug Kruthaupt hit a one-out single to center field, stole second base, and came home on a Marcus Geiselman double to right field for a 1-0 Zips lead. After a fly out by Charlie Lenhard, Jim Bonnette singled to left field, plating Geisleman and giving UA a two-run lead, 2-0.
Akron built its lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning when Doug McNulty led off with a single up the middle, stole second base, moved to third base on a groundout, and came home on a single by Lenhard.
Meanwhile, UA's Farmer was keeping the BGSU offense at bay. The right-hander retired the Falcons in order through the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Farmer had gotten the first two Falcons to fly out to begin the sixth inning before Lawson walked and Warnock laid down a bunt single to third base. However, the Falcon rally ended when Andy Hudak struck out looking.
BGSU tried to get something going again in the seventh frame when Josh Stewart check-swung and dropped a roller down the third-base line that hit the bag and marked the Falcons' third hit of the game. However, Raszka popped out to the shortstop and Tyler Wasserman, who entered the game in the sixth inning, lined out to center field to end the inning.
Sophomore Greg Becker entered the game in relief of Laughlin with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning with runners on the corners. The right-hander got Kimutis to fly out to Warnock to keep the score 3-0.
Junior Bobby Majer led off the eighth frame with a pinch-hit single to right field. But, Mike Barnard grounded into a double play and Lawson popped up to second base to keep the Falcons off the scoreboard.
BGSU made one last comeback bid in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Hudak struck out swinging but a passed ball allowed him to reach first base. Then Farmer walked Reimold to put runners on first and second base. Derek Stanfield then entered in relief of Farmer and faced Stewart, striking him out looking for the second out. Stanfield then got Raszka to strikeout swinging to end the game.
Laughlin (3-6) suffered the loss in his last collegiate outing. He pitched well, allowing seven hits in 6.2 innings of work. He walked three and struck out two. Farmer (4-3) had his longest outing of the 2005 season, lasting 8.1 innings with six strikeouts and four walks. He gave up four base hits. Stanfield's save was his 14th of the season.
Stewart finished 2-for-4 while Akron's Kruthaupt was 2-for-3. The shutout marked the first for BGSU since opening day when it lost 8-0 at Murray State. It also marked the first shutout of the Falcons in 22 MAC Tournament games.
The meeting between the Falcons and the Zips was the first since 2002 when the two teams had a four-game series in Bowling Green. BGSU swept UA in that series.
