Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
Tiffin
Falcons Use Bats To Out-Slug Tiffin, 16-8, On Tuesday At Steller Field
April 15, 2008 | Baseball
April 15, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University baseball team saw the hot bats it had over the weekend continue to smoke on Tuesday afternoon against the Tiffin University Dragons, as the Falcons pounded out 17 more hits on way to a 16-8 win over TU in their mid-week non-conference tilt at Warren E. Steller Field. After falling behind 2-1 in the top half of the third, the Falcons went on to out-score the Dragons, 11-1, in the next three and a half innings as went on to record their fourth win in the last five games, improving to 16-13 overall, while the TU fell to 10-14.
Leading the way at the plate for BG on the day was senior outfielder Andrew Foster, who continued his career-long 11-game hitting streak, going 4-for-6 at the dish and adding three runs. Frank Berry and Clay Duncan both then chipped in three hits apiece, while Ryan Shay added two off the bench as four Falcons finished with multiple-hits.
Recording a game-high three RBI was sophomore outfielder Dennis Vaughn, who went deep for the second time this season in the Falcon half of the fourth with a two-run shot to right. He also added an RBI groundout in a six-run third for the Falcons as the Falcons went deep three times in the contest. Others going long for BG were designated hitter Brandon McFarland and Shay, who entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh.
The three homers gave the Falcons 17 in their last five games, while the 16 runs gave them 67 during that same stretch.
After a scoreless first inning, the Falcons grabbed the game's first lead in the bottom of the second, as Duncan logged a leadoff triple and was then scored on the next play. TU came back to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the third on a two-run homer to right center by Paul Robbins, before the Falcons took the lead for good in the bottom of the third with a six-run inning.
Leadoff-hitter Chris Gacom started the home half of the third getting hit by a pitch from Dragon starter Mark Verkest, before Foster followed with a single to short. Mark Galvin then reached on a throwing error by the pitcher on a sacrifice attempt that got him to third, scoring Gacom and placing Foster at third. Vaughn followed with his RBI groundout just in front of Berry, who platted another run on an RBI-single through the left side. He was then advanced to second on a pass ball as Duncan followed with another RBI-single to right center with McFarland finally bringing the inning's scoring to a close on a two-run homer to right.
The Dragons tried to get back in the game in the top of the fourth, platting a run to bring the score to 7-3. That would be as close as they'd get though as two more Falcon runs in the fourth and three combined in the fifth and sixth stretched BG's lead out to 12-3 entering the final three innings.
TU scored four in the top half of the seventh to get back within five, but couldn't hold the Falcon offense in check, as BG added three more in the bottom half of the inning and one more in the eighth on way to the win.
Earning his first collegiate win on the mound for the Falcons was freshman right-hander Brennan Smith (1-1), who went five innings, giving up three runs on six hits, recording two strikeouts.
Also seeing action out of the Falcon bullpen were sophomore Phil Hettlinger and Brian Hangbers, who each tossed two of the final four innings.
Getting saddled with the loss for the Dragons was Verkest (1-2), who tossed three and 1/3 innings, surrendering nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits.
The Dragons were led on offense by Robbins, who finished with a team-high two RBI, going 1-for-5, while Devin Rudolph and Trevor Woodjets both added two hits.
BG will return to action on the diamond on Wednesday when they head up I-75 to meet rival-Toledo in a mid-week non-conference match-up. First pitch between the Falcons and Rockets is set for 3 p.m. from UT's Scott Park. Live statistics for the game will be available at www.bgsufalcons.com, via gametracker, which can be found on the team's schedule page.
