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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Falcons Fall, 10-6, To Central Michigan In Sunday Rubber Match
April 06, 2008 | Baseball
April 6, 2008
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Three costly errors by the Falcon defense led to four unearned Central Michigan runs on Sunday, which proved to be the exact difference in the game, as the Bowling Green State University baseball team fell 10-6 to the Chippewas in their weekend rubber match at Warren E. Steller Field. Most of the damage came in the top half of the fourth as CMU platted three runs, all unearned, to take a commanding 6-0 lead as they never looked back.
With the victory, CMU improved to 11-16 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference, while the Falcons fell to 12-11 and 4-2, respectively.
The Chippewas got single runs in the first, second and third innings to jump out to an early 3-0, just before going up 6-0 with their top half of the fourth. BG countered with two in their half of the fourth, but traded single runs in the fifth to trail 7-3 heading to the sixth. The Falcons climbed to within two at 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth, but would be out-scored by the Chippewas, 3-1, in the final three innings, dropping their first MAC series of the season.
Left-hander Steve Teno earned the victory on the mound for CMU, going 5.2 innings as he allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits. The win improved Teno to 4-3 on the season as he combined with reliever Chris Kupillas for eight total strikeouts on the afternoon. Kupillas went the final 3.1 innings, giving up a single run on two hits, earning his first save of the year.
Getting saddled with the loss for BG on the hill was right-hander Kevin Leady, who fell to 2-2. Leady went five innings, allowing seven runs (three earned) on six hits, recording three strikeouts.
Leady would be replaced by Dusty Hawk in the sixth who went 2.1 innings, before giving way to Brennan Smith for the final 1.2 innings.
The big inning for the Chippewas came about after BG committed two costly errors in the field. The first error came when Matt Faiman was able to reach first on a fielding error by the Falcons' first baseman. He would get picked off on the next at bat on great pickoff move by Leady to first, which should have resulted in out number two in the inning. However, it was just out one as a hit by a pitch and a single later, CMU had two on with a single out.
Jeff Helps then flied out to center field, which should have been the final out of the inning, but unfortunately for Leady and the Falcons it wasn't. A walk later, the bases were loaded full of Chippewas who were all brought home on a misplayed ball in left by the Falcons, which resulted in another error and three unearned runs to score.
BG tried to get themselves back in the game in their half of the fourth, scoring two runs on three hits. Both Brian Hangbers and Mark Galvin picked up RBI in the inning as the Falcons cut the lead to 6-2.
The Falcons cut the CMU lead to 7-5 then in the bottom of the sixth on RBI hits by T. J. Blanton and Andrew Foster, but couldn't pull themselves any closer.
Leading the way at the plate for BG on the day was Hangbers and Derek Spencer. Hangbers finished 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, while Spencer was 2-for-4, adding two runs and accounting for another Falcon RBI.
Pacing CMU on the day was left fielder Billy Anderson, who went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI. Brendan Emmett and Helps both then added two CMU hits a piece.
CMU out-hit the Falcons, 12-10, on the day as they committed just one error to BG's three.
BG will return to action on Tuesday afternoon when they have a mid-week showdown with in-state foe, Dayton, at 3 p.m. at Steller Field. They will then head down to Cincinnati on Wednesday to do battle with Xavier, which is scheduled for another 3 p.m. first pitch.
