Bowling Green State University
XAVIER
Falcons End Losing Streak With, 8-2, Win At Xavier
April 09, 2008 | Baseball
April 9, 2008
Cincinnati, Ohio - A three-run sixth inning, started with a solo home run by senior Andrew Foster, helped the Bowling Green State University baseball team break a 1-1 tie and go on for an 8-2 victory on Wednesday over the Xavier University Musketeers. The mid-week non-conference tilt was held at XU's Hayden Field.
With the victory, the Falcons improved to 13-12 on the season, while the Musketeers fell to 12-16. The win also ended the Falcons' three-game losing streak as they collected 14 hits on the afternoon and were perfect in the field, while surrendering just five Musketeer hits.
Earning the win on the hill for the Falcons was senior right-hander Nick Cantrell, who tossed two and 2/3 innings in relief of starter Brett Browning. The Waldo, Ohio native allowed no runs on two hits as he moved to 3-3 on the year with the victory. His performance came after Browning went four and 1/3 innings in his fourth start, allowing a single run on two hits.
Freshman Charles Wooten then finished off the Musketeers in the eighth and ninth innings, earning his first collegiate save, giving up a run on one hit.
After the Musketeers picked up the game's first run in the bottom half of the third, BG struck back with a run in the fifth to tie the game up at 1-1. They then took the lead with their three-run sixth and added to it in the eighth and ninth with four total runs, as they allowed the Musketeers a single run in the bottom half of the ninth.
Getting the Falcons' big sixth inning started was Foster, who took a 2-2 offering from XU starter Brian Muransky, and sent it deep over the fence in left for his first homer of the season. A walk and a groundout later, Mark Galvin drove in the next BG run with a double down the right field line that scored Brian Hangbers from second. Finally two batters later, Dennis Vaughn picked up a two-out RBI-single to center that scored Galvin from third to give the Falcons a 4-1 lead.
That lead was held in check by the Falcon defense, which aided the Falcon pitching staff in stranding nine total Musketeer runners on base. That included stranding six in the game's final five innings as BG turned three double plays in the game to get them out of trouble.
With all going well in the field, the Falcons continue to slowly take control of the game.
Logan Meisler built on to the Falcon lead in the eighth with a two-out RBI-triple to right field to make it 5-1, before the Falcons broke it open in the ninth. Hangbers platted two of those runs with an RBI-single through the right side, while Derek Spencer picked up the other with an RBI-single of his own to right.
Spencer finished as 1-of-4 Falcon hitters to collect multiple-hits in game as he finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Leading the way for BG though was freshman catcher Ryan Schlater who tied a career-high with three hits, going 3-for-4 at the plate. Also collecting multiple base knocks were Vaughn who was 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI, while Ryan Shay moved his career-long hitting-streak to 16 games, going 2-for-5 with a run scored.
Muransky was saddled with the loss for the Musketeers as he fell to 1-3 on the season. The right-hander threw five and 1/3 innings, allowing three Falcon runs on five hits. He was replaced in he sixth inning by Mike Creevy, who was 1-of-4 Musketeer relievers to see action in the game's final four innings.
XU was paced at the plate in the game by center fielder Adam Pasono, who was 2-for-4 and the lone Musketeer hitter with multiple-hits.
The Falcons will return to Mid-American Conference play this weekend when they head to Muncie, Ind. for a clash with West Division-leader Ball State. The series will get started on Friday with a 3 p.m. first pitch from BSU's Ball Diamond. Game two of the three-game set will follow on Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch, while the series finale on Sunday will also feature a 1 p.m. start time.
