Bowling Green State University
AKRON
Baseball Wins First MAC Title Since 2002 WIth, 4-3, Win At Akron
May 17, 2008 | Baseball
May 17, 2008
AKRON, Ohio - Marty Baird's ninth inning RBI-single drove home the game-winning run on Saturday afternoon, as the Bowling Green State University baseball team earned a share of its' first Mid-American Conference Regular-Season Championship and East Division Title since 2002 with a 4-3 victory over the University of Akron at UA's Lee Jackson Field. With one out and two runners on, the junior from Findlay, Ohio pounded a 1-2 pitch through the left side of the infield to bring home Logan Meisler from second and earn the Falcons' their 11th straight-victory and third consecutive sweep of a weekend MAC series.
With the victory, the Falcons improved to 31-18 overall and 16-8 in the MAC, while the Zips fell to 25-24 and 8-13, respectively.
The series sweep of the Zips marked the first-time in recorded school history that the Falcons swept three-consecutive conference series. BG's 11-straight victories then marked the first time it has won 11-consecutive games since winning 13 games in-a-row back in April of 1976.
BG, who was announced as the MAC's Co-Champions on Saturday evening, will be the number three seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament, as Kent State earned the East Division's top seed due to head-to-head competition.
The Falcons' victory came despite just picking up five hits on the afternoon, as BG's pitching and defense played a huge part in the win. BG allowed 13 hits, but stranded 10 UA runners on base due in large part to four double plays, which tied a season-high.
On the mound, right-hnaded starter Kevin Leady would allow just three runs on nine hits in five innings of work. It was his work through the game's first five innings that allowed BG to stay in the game, as they weren't able to register a hit until the fifth inning. The Luckey, Ohio native didn't allow a run and gave up just five UA hits through five innings, as BG scored the game's first runs in the top half of the fifth.
With one out in the Falcon fifth, Logan Meisler doubled to right center to register the Falcons' first hit. He was then brought to the plate by an RBI-single from Mark Galvin that gave BG a 1-0 lead. Baird later added an RBI-double with another Falcon run being scored an error to increase the lead to 3-0.
The Zips would counter in the sixth however, with three runs of their own to tie the game up at 3-3. But the Falcon bullpen would once again be there to answer the call and stop the bleeding.
Dusty Hawk would relieve Leady in the sixth and wouldn't allow any runs on four hits in the next three and 1/3 innings. His effort earned him his second win of the season, as he improved to 2-1. Baird would relieve him in the ninth for the game's final two outs then, recording his second save after inducing a game-ending double play.
Pitching wasn't all Baird was doing though, as his 2-for-3 performance at the plate and two RBI led all Falcon hitters. Meisler also collected two hits, while Galvin picked up the Falcons' lone other RBI.
BG's ninth inning started with a single up the middle with a 3-2 count from Meisler. Galvin then laid down a perfectly placed sacrifice to get Meisler into scoring position at second.Baird came up then just two batters later to record the game-winning hit, as BG pulled out its' third late inning win of the week.
Taking the loss for the Zips for the second-straight outing was reliever Benjamin Danzinger, who fell to 4-5 with the loss. The right-hander gave up a run on one hit in one and 1/3 innings.
Danzinger had replaced starter Drew Turocy, who tossed seven innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on three hits.
Pacing the Zips in defeat were four different hitters who each collected two hits. Kevin Haas was 2-for-5 on the day and John Turk was 2-for-4, while Brian Kordal was 2-for-4 and Kyle Hallett was 2-for-3.
BG will return to play on Wednesday when they head to Chillicothe, Ohio for the 2008 MAC Tournament. The three-seeded Falcons will battle the sixth-seeded Ohio University Bobcats at 9 a.m. from VA Memorial Stadium. The winner will play the winner of the game between two-seeded Eastern Michigan and seventh-seeded Western Michigan on Thursday at 4 p.m. with the losers playing each other at 9 a.m. Live statistics for each game of the tournament will be available at www.bgsufalcons.com.
NOTES: BGSU's Regular-Season Title is the fourth in program history and the third under 18-year head coach Danny Schmitz ... the Division Championship is the fifth in school history and fifth under Schmitz ... the Falcons appearance in the MAC Tournament will be their eighth all-time ... BG last made the NCAA Tournament when they were a three-seed in the 1999 MAC Touranment ... it'll be their first MAC Tournament appearance since 2005 ... The Falcons ended the 2008 MAC season with a nine-game improvement in their conference win total after finishing 7-20 last season ... the Falcons were picked last in the East Division in the 2008 preseason MAC polls ... Marty Baird's game-winning hit was his second of the season ... The Falcons are now 11-0 in the month of May ... BG is 9-2 on the season in one-run games ... BG finished with 16 road wins in 2008, the second-most in school history to the 1999 squad that won 17 ... with his seven putouts Saturday, Brian Hangbers entered BGSU's top-10 career list with 665 putouts, tying him for eighth ... Ryan Shay now has 402 career assists after the weekend, placing sixth on the all-time Falcon career assists list.
MAC Tournment Schedule For Wednesday
Game One - 9 a..m. #6 Ohio University #3 Bowling Green
Game Two - 12:30 p.m. #7 Western Michigan #2 Eastern Michigan
Game Three - 4 p.m. #5 Ball State #4 Northern Illinois
Game Four - 7:30 p.m. #8 Central Michigan #1 Kent State
