Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Middle Tennessee
Falcons Take Weekend Series at MTSU
February 26, 2007 | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University baseball team improved to 2-1 on the season after taking an 8-6 win in this weekend's rubber match at Middle Tennessee State.
Sophomore Chris Gacom continued his red-hot start to the season with a single in the opening inning. After a wild pitch and groundball advanced Gacom to third base, fellow Sophomore Brandon McFarland pushed him over the final base with a single to right field for the first run of the game.
Middle Tennessee put a four-spot on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first, only to see the Falcons strike back with four runs of their own in next half-inning for a 5-5 BGSU lead. The second stanza began with Sophomore Andrew Foster trotting to first base after being hit by a pitch. Freshman Mark Galvin stepped into the box next and delivered his second hit in as many career at-bats, putting two men on. A Blue Raider fielding error loaded the bases for Saturday's star of the game, Senior Kurt Wells. The Perrysburg, Ohio native continued to shine as he roped a pitch over the left field fence for the Falcons first grand slam of the season.
The Blue Raiders were threatening in the bottom of the third, that is, until Sophomore Ryan Shay made spectacular play at shortstop that ending the inning and saved a run from scoring.
With two-outs in the fourth, the Falcons garnered a walk and Gacom tallied another single to set up Sophomore Brian Hangbers with two runner aboard. Hangbers then cleared the bases with a three-run shot to hand the Falcons a 8-4 edge. MTSU counterpunched in the home-half of the inning, however, with a pair of runs to trim the Falcon lead to 8-6.
Excellent defensive play by the Brown and Orange dismantled another Blue Raider scoring threat in the seventh inning as well. First, a "strike `em out throw `em out" play by Senior hurler Adam Gumpf and Senior catcher Mike Barnard which combined with a diving catch in center field by Wells ended the inning. Matt Ray hit a laser that was tailing away from the Falcons center fielder, but Wells laid out full extension to make the play.
Gumpf earned the win by going 4.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
