Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
FAIRFIELD
Falcons Blank Stags, 8-0, In Morning Matchup In Florida
March 06, 2008 | Baseball
March 6, 2008
BRADENTON, Fla. - Junior first baseman Brian Hangbers hit two homers, while Kevin Leady and Charles Wooten combined for nine strikeouts in a nine-inning shutout as the Bowling Green State University baseball team blanked Fairfield 8-0 on Thursday morning in Bradenton, Fla. The morning contest was the first of the two for the Falcons on the day from Academy Park as they'll play Florida Gulf Coast in their second game tonight at 6 p.m.
With the victory, the Falcons improved to 2-6 on the year and ended a five-game losing streak, while the Stags fell to 2-6.
Hangbers, who got the start at first base in the game, went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI to lead all Falcon batters. His two-run homer in the first inning gave BG an early 2-0 lead, which would be more than enough for Leady. The Lucky, Ohio native allowed just four hits and struck out six batters in his first start of the season to earn the win and move to 1-0.
BG added three runs in the third, one in the seventh and two in the eighth as Leady was replaced by Wooten in the sixth who was equally as impressive. The freshman right-hander, appearing in just his third career game, tossed four more innings of scoreless baseball for the Falcons giving up just two hits, while fanning three Stag hitters.
The shutout was the fourth for the Falcons in the last two seasons and first since they shutout Akron 3-0 back on Apr. 20th of 2007.
BG got the scoring started in the first when Hangbers hit his first home run of the season. After leadoff hitter Ryan Shay struck out to start the game, Andrew Foster drew a walk and then stold second to get in scoring position. Hangbers came up in the three-hole and pounded his 11th career homer over the fence to bring himself and Foster home as the Falcons grabbed the early lead.
Designated hitter Frank Berry added to the Falcons' lead in the third, adding two more runs on a two-out double. Foster and Hangbers scored on the play as following a double play by the Stags to start the frame, Foster drew another walk, before he was advanced on a single by Hangbers. Just two batters later, Berry would be platted on an RBI-single by left fielder Mark Galvin that moved the Falcon lead to 5-0.
Leady held the Stags to just four base runners in the first five innings, while Wooten allowed just four more the rest of the way.
Hangbers added to BG's five-run lead in the bottom half of the seventh with his second homer of the game, a solo shot, for his second of the season. Ryan Schlater and Shay would then plate two more runs in the eighth to give the game its' final count.
After Wooten gave up a one-out double in the ninth and then had runners on the corners with two outs, he got the final hitter of the game to fly out to right to end the game and preserve the shutout.
Getting saddled with the loss for Fairfield on the day was right-hander Scott Gussaroff who went three innings and gave up five runs on four hits.
Following tonight's action with Florida Gulf Coast, the Falcons will return to action tomorrow with their third game of the week against Northeastern. First pitch will take place at 2:30 p.m.
