Bowling Green State University Athletics
Baseball Begins Brown Versus Orange World Series
October 04, 2009 | Baseball
DAY ONE PHOTO GALLERY
DANNY SCHMITZ POSTGAME AUDIO
Competitive baseball is back at Warren E. Steller Field with the start of the 2009 Brown versus Orange World Series on Sunday. In an offensive showcase, the Orange team won the series' first game by a final score of 9-4 in seven innings of play.
Before the game began, the team took part in a skills showcase for Major League Baseball scouts to observe the talent littered throughout the BGSU lineup. Teams divided into groups and participated in throwing, hitting, fielding and running drills for an hour before the Falcons would take the field for their color-coordinated teams.
Though no official statistics are kept for the series, many notable moments for players, coaches and fans of the program were seen beginning as early as the top half of the first inning.
The Orange team would serve as the visitors for game-one and light up the score board early. Taking the hill for the Brown team was junior right-hander Brennan Smith. After retiring the first batter of the series, (name) would give up back-to-back homeruns to senior Derek Spencer and junior Clay Duncan to give the Orange team a 2-0 lead. After back-to-back walks and some timely hitting, another run would cross the plate to increase the lead to three. Soon thereafter sophomore Patrick Martin and freshman Nick Bruns would reach base only to be driven by a three-run homerun over the left field fence junior Frank Berry to increase the lead to 5-0, still in the top half of the opening inning. The Orange would tack on one more run before they would retire to the defensive side.
After going quietly in the bottom half of the first, the Brown team would make waves with a pair of runs. With two outs and two runners on, senior Mark Galvin would smash a fly ball that would bounce off the top-most part of the left field wall, scoring one safely and another after a close play at the plate. Galvin would reach third base on the throw, but the scoring would end and leave the Brown down by four, 6-2, after two full innings of play.
The Orange would get back on the scoreboard in the fourth after both teams would post a scoreless third inning. With a runner on, senior Dennis Vaughn would blast an RBI single through the infield to score another freshman, Matthew Pitzulo, and increase the lead to 7-2 for the Orange.
Fast-forward to the seventh inning: after the Brown team would casually put two more runs on the board, with two runners on Martin would bring home a pair on Falcons on second and third with a one-out base knock to center to make the lead 9-4.
To close out the game, Bruns would take the hill and make an impressive appearance by ending the the game with a strikeout, sealing the win for the Orange by a score of 9-4 in seven innings.
Every year as the fall baseball season comes to close the Falcon assistant coaches split into two teams and hold an open draft of the players on the active roster to develop opposing squads. The two teams then face off in a five-game series to determine the better of the two teams.
To head coach Danny Schmitz, “I thought the Orange team swung the bats very well today. They did a great job. We had some great pitching performances. Frank Berry threw the ball very well and of course, Frank missed the whole season for us last year so it was nice to see him come out.”
Overall, Schmitz was pleased with the view of his team from the bench, but recognizes that the series and the offseason are still far from over. “We want our hitters to score. We want our pitchers going out and our defense putting zeroes up on the board. I saw some very encouraging things but I also saw some things we need to work on, but that's what fall baseball is all about.”
The series will continue on Wednesday, Oct. 7 when game two begins at 3:10 p.m. at Warren E. Steller Field. Weather permitting, the series be continued on Thursday and Friday at 3:10 p.m., if necessary. Check bgsufalcons.com for more updates on the series between the Brown and the Orange.
