Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Youngstown State
Penguins Defeat Falcons in Cold Conditions, 7-5
March 20, 2007 | Baseball
March 20, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - With a wind chill factor that dipped below 30 degrees at game time, Bowling Green lost a heart-breaker to the Penguins of Youngstown State. YSU scored two unearned runs in the top of the ninth to take a 7-5 win.
Runs were hard to come by in the first five innings as each squad could muster only one run apiece. The offenses heated up in the sixth, however, beginning with a three-run top half of the inning for Youngstown State.
Bowling Green responded in the home-half of the inning with two scores. Sophomore Ryan Shay started the inning with an infield single. A hit batsmen followed by a wild pitch then advanced Shay to third base. Sophomore Brian Hangbers hit a groundball to right side of the infield, scoring Shay. Junior Andrew Foster was next up for the Falcons, and delivered an RBI-single.
When the Penguins added a fifth run in the eight inning, BGSU responded once again in the home-half of the inning. Shay began this inning with a single as well. Pinch hitter Brandon McFarland followed with an opposite field shot that landed just inside the left field line, mimicking the right-handed Shay who picked up his single with a hit down the right field line. Hangbers followed with a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Bowling Green, Ohio native Andrew Foster followed by picking up his second and third RBI of the game with a single into right center field, scoring Shay and pinch runner Julian Bostelman. The game moved to the ninth inning, knotted at 5-5.
Freshman Richie O'Brien entered the game to pitch the top of the ninth and was able to get the first two outs easily. He then forced YSU's Josh Page to hit a potential inning-ending groundball, but a Falcon fielding error allowed Page to reach first base safely. With men on first and second before the groundball, the bases were then loaded for the Penguins. The very next batter capitalized on the second chance by delivering a two-RBI single into left field.
Bowling Green's first batter hit a grounder to the pitcher for the first out of the ninth. Senior Eric Lawson got the ball rolling then by drawing a walk and advancing to second on a passed ball. Sophomore Marty Baird placed men at the corners with a single up the middle. Unfortunately, the Falcon rally was halted by a double play.
The Brown and Orange play again Wednesday afternoon at 2 PM, hosting the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. BGSU continues their five-game homestand this weekend with the conference opening series verus Eastern Michigan.
