Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
FINDLAY
Falcons Down Oilers, 12-8, In Home Opener At Steller Field
March 26, 2008 | Baseball
March 26, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - A four-run eighth-inning helped the Bowling Green State University baseball team put some distance between themselves and the Findlay Oilers on Wednesday en route to a 12-8 victory in their season-opener at Warren E. Steller Field. The Falcons, who improved to 8-7 with the victory, slugged out a season-high 17 hits in the effort off five different Oiler pitchers to earn their seventh win in the last eight contests, while the Oilers fell to 7-8.
BG earned the victory despite falling behind 3-0 after the first two Oiler at bats, before they would rally to hold a 6-3 advantage after the fifth. UF would tie the game back up at 7-7 going into the bottom half of the seventh, but a lone run in the bottom of the seventh and a four-spot in the eighth would propel the Falcons to 12-7 lead, which would be too much for the Oilers to overcome.
The win gave the Falcons 12-straight in the series going back to May 3rd of 1978 as they out-hit the Oilers 17-14 on the afternoon and committed just one error to UF's two.
With the game tied up at at 7-7 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons needed just one at bat to regain control of their lead. After taking a ball on the first pitch to open up BG's half of the inning, Mark Galvin got a hold of Oiler reliever William Barton's 1-0 pitch and sent it over the fence in right center for his first homer of the season and the game's eventual game-winning play.
For Galvin, the homer was his lone hit of the day as he finished 1-for-4 with a two runs scored and an RBI.
Galvin's seventh-inning effort, was then supported by Brian Hangbers (1-0) who pitched the eighth inning, allowing a single hit and recording two strikeouts to earn his first victory of the season. Hangbers, who started the game at first base, also came up big at the plate on the afternoon, as he was one of six Falcons to finish with multiple-hits. The lefty went 3-for-5, accounting for one run and one RBI.
Leading the way on the day at the plate for the Falcons was sophomore centerfielder T. J. Blanton. The Sandusky, Ohio native went 3-for-4 at the plate and had a game-high four RBI, including his first homer of the season in BG's big eighth inning.
Leading 8-7, Blanton led-off the Falcon eighth against Oiler reliever Josh Barney and just like Galvin, he would get BG's at bat started on the right foot. After taking a first pitch strike, the centerfielder pounded Barney's 0-1 pitch over the fence in left center for BG's second of two homers on the day and the first of his Falcon career.
He was followed in the inning by Ryan Shay, who doubled to left center, before being advanced to third on a single to right field by Andrew Foster. Two batters later, Foster successfully stole second base on a miss throw by the catcher to second that would bring home both himself and Shay from third to make it 11-7. Chris Gacom would later add a two-out single to left to score the final run of the inning and BG's final tally of the game.
Dusty Hawk came on in relief of Hangbers in the top of the ninth and surrendered a single run on three hits to close out the game as the Oilers left two runners on base.
Taking the loss for the Oilers was Barton (0-1) who tossed one inning as he gave up two runs on four hits. Barton was one of three others who saw work in relief of Oiler starter Matt Weber who went three innings, also giving two runs on four hits.
Getting the start on the hill for the Falcons on the day was senior Brett Browning who went two innings and gave up three runs on six hits.
Pacing the Oilers at the plate were Jeff Peters who had a game-high four hits and recorded two RBI. First baseman Brian Sampsel was then 3-for-5 on the day in the clean-up spot as the Oilers had four total players with multiple-hits on the day.
The Falcons will return to the diamond on Friday when they open up Mid-American Conference play at home against Northern Illinois. First pitch between the Falcons and Huskies is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday with game two on Saturday and game three on Sunday both scheduled to throw out the first pitch at 1 p.m.
