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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
NOTRE DAME
Falcons Snap #8/12 Notre Dame's 23-Game Winning Streak
April 26, 2006 | Baseball
April 26, 2006
SOUTH BEND, Indiana - The Bowling Green State University baseball team entered Frank Eck Stadium with a bad taste in their mouths after a 1-2 weekend, but left with an 11-8 win over nationally-ranked Notre Dame. BGSU ends the the nation's longest winning streak at 23 games. Junior Kurt Wells recorded his 13th multi-RBI game of the season, going 4-for-5 with two RBI in the victory.
The Falcons exploded in the second inning with seven runs on six hits. Senior Tyler Wasserman opened the inning by tagging a hard line drive off Notre Dame starter David Gruener for a single into left field. A throwing an error by the Irish set BGSU up with runners at first and second. Freshman Marty Baird, making his first start of the season at first base, gave Bowling Green the first run of the game with a single up the middle, scoring Wasserman.
Freshman Ryan Shay followed with a hard struck ball to right-center, good for an RBI-double. Chris Gacom, another Falcon freshman, then singled down the left-field line for a 4-0 BGSU lead. Freshman Kevin Leady then continued the hot streak of Falcon newcomers with another BGSU single.
Junior Kurt Wells decided it wasn't time for the Falcons to stop scoring as he followed Leady's example with a shot along side the left-field line, giving the Brown and Orange a 6-0 lead with just one out in the inning. Bowling Green notched one more run before the inning was over for a seven-run lead.
The Falcons found themselves in a jam in the home-half of the second. However, with two runners in scoring position, Freshman Dusty Hawk got Cody Rizzo to fly out to end the threat.
The Fighting Irish recorded their first hit of the game in the third, a single to right field. Two batters later, another Notre Dame single put men at the corners. However, Hawk squeezed out of a jam once again by forcing a fly out.
Bowling Green allowed three runs on just two hits in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 7-3. Sophomore reliever Garret Kloots entered with the bases loaded, and stranded three Irish runners by getting a groundball to end the inning.
Like a prized heavy weight fighter, Bowling Green counterpunched in the following half-inning with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth to increase their lead to 9-5. Wasserman began the rally with a single once again. After a sacrifice bunt by Sophomore Andrew Foster, Freshman Brian Hangbers hit a pinch-hit, RBI-single over the shortstop's head. Gacom tallied his third RBI on the day later in the inning for run number nine.
Notre Dame responded as well, picking up a run in each of the next two innings. Despite the two Irish runs, the fifth and sixth innings were highlighted by a pair of Falcons flashing the leather. The fifth was ended after a Foster diving catch in right field, while the sixth inning came to a halt after Sean Gaston was gunned out at home, reading "762" in the official scorebook.
BGSU gave up just one run and one walk in the seventh, but a wild pitch combined with two groundouts forced two Irish runners across home plate. The Falcon lead stood at 9-7 heading into the eighth.
Another defensive web gem by the Falcons stole a run from Notre Dame in the eighth inning. A scorcher up the middle was nabbed by a diving Shay, who then scooped the ball straight from his glove to the second baseman to end the inning.
For the third time in the game, Wasserman led-off an inning with a single. And for the third time, BGSU lit the scoreboard. Freshman Brandon McFarland then powered an inside pitch over the right fielder's head to become the sixth BGSU player to record an RBI. The Falcons added one more insurance run for an 11-7 lead with three outs to go.
Junior Tyler Johnson emerged from the bullpen to close out the game. The Fighting Irish put a scare into the Bowling Green dugout by scoring a run before eventually falling 11-8 to the Brown and Orange on a Johnson strikeout.
The Falcons return home to Warren Steller Field on Friday, April 28th for a 3 PM conference match-up against the RedHawks of Miami.
