Bowling Green State University
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Complete-Game Effort By Berry Earns Falcons A 3-2 Win
March 28, 2008 | Baseball
March 28, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - A 111-pitch complete-game by sophomore right-hander Frank Berry helped the Bowling Green State University baseball team earn a 3-2 win on Friday over the Northern Illinois Huskies in their Mid-American Conference opener at Warren Steller Field. Berry, who was outstanding on the day, retired 10 of the 12 batters he faced in the game's final four innings as the win moved the Falcons to 9-7 on the season and 1-0 in the MAC, while the NIU fell to 9-12 and 3-1, respectively.
Berry, who moved to 3-0 on the year with his first career nine-inning effort, would give up just two runs on four hits in his third start of the season. The Virginia Beach, Va. Native finished with three strikeouts and allowed just two walks.
After Berry, retired the Huskies in order in the top half of the first, the Falcons got the game's scoring started in the bottom half of the inning as they took an early 1-0 lead. NIU bounced back with single runs in both the second and third to take a 2-1 lead then heading into the Falcons' half of the third. There, BG would plate a single run to tie the game at 2-2, before they would take the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a double to right by right fielder Andrew Foster.
Foster's game-winning RBI hit would score center fielder T. J. Blanton from third, who started the inning reaching base on a bunt single to third. Blanton's hit marked the fourth-straight leadoff man to reach base for the Falcons as they'd have six-straight leadoffs batters reach base, before that finally came to an end in the seventh.
After Blanton reached first on his bunt single, he then advanced to third during the next at bat when NIU pitcher Trevor Feeney overthrew his first baseman on an attempted pickoff play. That put Blanton in scoring position at third just one batter later for Foster who pounded a 3-2 pitch to right for the eventual game-winning hit.
Foster finished his afternoon 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI as he was 1-of-3 Falcon batters with multiple-hits. Also collecting three hits and an RBI was left fielder Mark Galvin who went 2-for-3, while designated hitter Dennis Vaughn was 2-for-4.
Getting saddled with the loss for the Huskies on the afternoon was Feeney, who fell to 1-3. The right-hander tossed seven innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on 12 BG hits. He gave way to reliever Dan Atkenson in the eighth who didn't allow a hit and struck out two.
NIU was paced at the plate by third baseman Jordin Hood and right fielder Danny Reed, who both finished with a hit and an RBI.
The Falcons out-hit NIU 12-4 on the afternoon as they were perfect in the field, while the Huskies finished with the one error in the fourth.
The two teams will continue their three-game conference set on Saturday with first pitch scheduled to be tossed at 1 p.m. Live statistics for the games can be found on www.bgsufalcons.com, via gametracker, which can be found on the baseball schedule page.
