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Bowling Green State University
MIAMI (OH)
Falcons Lose a Tough One at Miami, 2-1
April 29, 2007 | Baseball
April 29, 2007
OXFORD, Ohio - It was a pitchers' duel Sunday afternoon at McKie Field in Oxford, Ohio for game three of the Falcons three-game weekend set against the Miami RedHawks. In the end, a score in the bottom of the ninth gave MU a 2-1 win.
Senior Eric Lawson began Sunday's contest with a lead-off walk. Sophomore Marty Baird followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance Lawson to second base. Head Coach Danny Schmitz then called a hit-and-run on a 3-1 count, resulting in an RBI-single for Senior Jeff Telmanik and 1-0 lead for the Falcons. Bowling Green, Ohio native, Andrew Foster came up just inches shy of giving BGSU a 3-0 lead when his deep fly ball was caught at the warning track in straight away center field right in front of the "400" sign.
Miami's Evan Armitage led-off the home-half of the first inning with his third triple of the weekend. The RedHawks were able to even the score at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly later in the frame.
A pair of walks combined with a Foster single through the left-side of the infield produced a one-out, base loaded opportunity for the Brown and Orange. With a right-handed pitcher on the mound, Schmitz replaced the next Falcon batter with a left-handed pinch hitter, Sophomore Brandon McFarland. Miami's skipper countered with his own chess move, pulling a southpaw from the bullpen to face McFarland. Unfortunately for the Falcons, McFarland struck out swinging and the next hitter was retired as well to halt the scoring threat.
Senior Mike Barnard recorded his second hit of the day in the top of seventh. Bowling Green then executed some more "small ball" as Freshman T.J. Blanton laid down a bunt to move Barnard into scoring position. Barnard saw a chance to advance to third when a pitch in the dirt trickled a few feet away from the catcher. Miami's Josh Hula made a sensational defensive play, however, grabbing the loose ball and gunning out Barnard from his knees on very close play at third base. The base running mishap proved to be costly as Senior Eric Lawson connected on a single right back up the middle that would have easily scored Barnard.
The Falcons scored what looked to be the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning, but a runner's interference call cancelled the score. With runners at the corners, Sophomore Ryan Shay hit a ground ball to the third base which was tossed to second base for the first out and then thrown wide of the first basemen for the apparent throwing error and run scored as Telmanik sprinted home from third. Before the Falcons could celebrate, a runner's interference was called on the base runner sliding into second base, nullifying the run scored forcing a double play.
The Falcons get the week off for exams before getting back to Mid-American Conference play next weekend at Kent State. The three-game weekend series is scheduled to begin Friday, May 4 at 3 PM in Kent, Ohio.
