Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
NORTHEASTERN
Huskies Trip Up Falcons, 11-8, In Day Two Of Play In Florida
March 02, 2008 | Baseball
March 2, 2008
BRADENTON, Fla. - Northeastern starting pitcher Jeff Thomson pitched a complete game, allowing only a single run in the first eight innings as the Huskies defeated the Bowling Green State University baseball team 11-8 on Sunday morning at the IMG Academies complex. The loss was the third-straight for the Falcons who fell to 1-4 on the season, while the Huskies improved to 2-1.
NU jumped out to an early 4-0 after the first four innings and added four more in the top of the sixth to double their lead to 8-0. BG finally got on the board in the bottom half of the seventh, but three more Huskie runs in the final two innings would be too much to overcome, despite a seven-run ninth to close to within three.
Thomson (1-0) earned the win for NU as he went the full distance giving two eight runs (two earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts. Earning the loss for the Falcons was junior Kevin Light (0-1) who was making his first career start for the Falcons since his move from Longwood University. He would finish his day giving up three earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work, adding a strikeout.
With the score 11-1 and with the game down to its' final three outs, the Falcons struck for seven runs to get themselves back in the game. The comeback was due in large part to six hits and two Huskie errors as outfielder T.J. Blanton led off the Falcon ninth with a double to left center.
Blanton was followed by Clay Duncan who reached base on a throwing error from Huskie third baseman James Donaldson. Four batters later, following another Huskie error that scored a run, a sacrifice bunt by Patrick Martin and swinging strikeout by Brandon McFarland, Ryan Price would drive in two more Falcon runs with a double down the left field line. That put him in scoring position with two outs and the game now standing at 11-4.
Brian Hangbers was then hit by a pitch in the next at bat, before four-straight RBI singles by Chris Gacom, David Borcherdt, Blanton and Duncan brought BG to within three at 11-8.
That would be as close as they'd get though as their rally fell short with a fly out to right field that ended the game.
Leading the way for the Falcons on the day was Price who finished with a team-best two RBI as he was 1-for-2 at the dish with a run scored. Seven different Falcons in total collected hits as Blanton recorded a team-best two on the day with his 2-for-4 performance.
The Falcons used four pitchers on the day with Kevin Leady, Dusty Hawk and Dan Parsons all seeing time on the mound. Leady gave up one earned run on a single hit in an inning of duty, while Hawk gave two earned runs on three hits in two frames and Parsons finished the effort allowing just one hit in the game's final inning.
NU finished with a 12-8 edge in hits as the Falcons committed three errors on the day to the Huskies' two.
The same two teams will square-off once again on Monday (Mar. 3) at 1 p.m. BG will be throwing freshman right-hander Brennan Smith against NU left-hander Dan Zehr.
