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Bowling Green State University
OHIO
Baseball's Magical Season Comes To An End In, 7-3, Extra-Inning Thriller
May 23, 2008 | Baseball
May 23, 2008
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio - Despite an outstanding performance from starter Kevin Leady, who allowed just three runs in 6.2 innings of work and a three-hit effort from senior outfielder Andrew Foster, the Bowling Green State University baseball team's 2008 season came to an end in the MAC Tournament on Friday morning, as it fell 7-3 to the Ohio University Bobcats in a 13-inning thriller at Chillicothe's VA Memorial Stadium.
With the victory, the Bobcats improved to 29-29 and 2-1 in the tournament, while the Falcons finished their MAC Championship season with a final record of 32-20 and a 1-2 mark in tournament play.
OU will now play Eastern Michigan at 4 p.m. on Friday, needing to beat the Eagles twice (once Friday and once Saturday) in order to advance to Saturday's Championship contest
After six scoreless innings thrown by Leady and OU starter Matt Smith, the Bobcats drew first-blood with a three-run seventh to take a 3-0 lead. BG countered with two runs in the home half of seventh and a single run in the ninth to send the contest to extra-frames, but OU reliever Adam Goodpasture would shut the door, allowing just two hits in the final four innings. The Bobcats platted four runs in the top of the 13th to take a 7-3 lead, while the Falcons went down in order, as they fell to OU for the first time this season in five contests.
Leady would finish with four strikeouts in the game, while Smith finished with five, surrendering just three runs on nine hits in 9.1 innings.
It was Smith's pitching that kept the Falcon bats at bay, allowing OU to grab the game's first lead in the seventh inning. With Leady starting to show signs of fatigue, the Bobcats picked up a double, a single and a walk to load up the bases with no one out. Brandon Besl then drove home the game's first run on sacrifice fly to right center that scored Matt Stiffler from third to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead. OU went on to add two more in the inning on another sacrifice fly by Robert Maddox III and a double down the left field line by Chris Klimko, as Leady's day came to close.
Dusty Hawk and Brett Browning would stop the bleeding however, combining to allow just two hits in the next 2.1 innings to keep their team within reach. Their effort allowed the Falcons to jump right back into the mix, as they platted two in the home half of the seventh to cut OU's lead to one, before needing to just one hit to tie the game in the ninth.
With Smith still on the OU mound, Marty Baird started the Falcon seventh with a single to right center. He was followed by Mark Galvin, who also singled, going to left center to put runners at first and second with no one out. Two outs later, Foster would bring both runners home with an RBI-single through the right side to bring the score to 3-2.
Foster, playing in his final game for the Falcons, would finish his day 3-for-6 with two RBI.
With BG still trailing by a single run in the bottom of the ninth and with two outs standing between them and elimination, Brandon McFarland came to the plate, as he pinch hit for catcher Ryan Schlater. The Perrysburg, Ohio native would take two balls from Smith, before belting his third-offering high and deep over the fence in right to tie the game at 3-3 and keep BG's season alive.
For McFarland, it was his fourth homer of the season, as he finished a perfect 1-for-1 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI.
McFarland's homer would be the only run the Falcons could pick up in the ninth though, as OU turned to Goodpasture for the game's final four innings. BG senior right-hander Nick Cantrell would counter Goodpasture for the Falcons as both relievers would be in charge of their team's season.
Cantrell started his final outing in the Brown and Orange getting his team out of a bases loaded jam with no outs in the tenth inning. After he got a force out at home on a fielder's choice play, he would get OU All-MAC selection Marc Krauss to go down swinging, before getting the inning's final out on a groundout to third.
BG was unable to ride Cantrell's momentum though, as despite his brilliant relief performance, the Falcons could only get two hits in the game's final four innings.
OU took the lead in the 13th inning when Klimko's sharply-hit groundball up the middle found its' way into the Falcon outfield, scoring Brandon Besl from third to give the Bobcats a 4-3 edge. Zach Hartle later added another RBI-single to right center, while two other runs scored on a dropped fly ball to second, as the game started to slip from BG's grasp.
Derek Spencer flew out to start the bottom of the 13th and Logan Meisler and Brian Hangbers followed with groundouts, as the Falcons' magical season came to close.
Cantrell (8-4) was saddled with the loss in his final appearance in the Brown and Orange, surrendering four runs (two earned) on six hits with two strikeouts. Picking up the win for OU was Goodpasture, who moved to 6-2, allowing just two hits in four innings of duty.
OU was paced in the winning effort by three hitters who finished with two hits a piece. One of those Bobcat hitters was Klimko, who led the way with a team-high two RBI.
Both teams stranded a combined 21 runners on base in the contest, as OU completed one double play, while the Falcons turned two.
For more information on the MAC Tournament, statistics, video, audio and more, you can visit www.mac-sports.com.
