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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Falcons Lose Opener To Northern Illiniois
March 27, 2009 | Baseball
March 27, 2009
DEKALB, ILL. - The Bowling Green State University baseball team had twice as many hits as Northern Illinois Friday afternoon, but a four-run fourth inning and two unearned runs in the eighth inning were the difference in a 6-4 Huskie win at McKinzie Field in Dekalb, Ill. Northern Illinois improves to 10-13 and 4-0 in Mid-American Conference play while the Falcons drop to 9-12 overall and 1-3 in league action.
The Falcons scored first in the game with three runs on four hits in the third inning. Freshman Jon Berti led off the inning with a triple to right center. After a pair of strikeouts, senior Ryan Shay singled through the right side to drive home Berti. Sophomore Clay Duncan followed with a single to right field as Shay moved up one base. Junior Tyler Elkins then doubled to right center to drive home Shay and Duncan and the Falcons had the upper hand.
But, the Huskies then took the lead for good in the fourth, an inning BG could have gotten out of with little or no damage.
Jordan Hood led off the frame with a double and Dave Reynolds walked. Both runners then moved up a base on a sacrifice. The next batter popped out to put runners on second and third with two outs. The next hitter, Troy White, hit a slow roller between third and short and the Falcons could not make a play with one run scoring. BG starter Brennan Smith then walked the eighth and ninth batters in the order to force in a run. Then lead off hitter Alex Jones made Smith pay for the walks stroking a single through the right side to drive in a pair of runs and Northern Illinois had a 4-3 lead.
The Falcons had had their chances in the last half of the game to get even, including runners on second base in both the seventh and eighth innings, but could not push across the equalizer.
Northern Illinois then scored two important runs in their half of the eighth inning, both of them unearned. Their first two batters reached on hits then the Huskies attempted to sacrifice and when the throw to first was wild, one runner came in to score and everybody moved up one base. The second run of the inning came home on a sacrifice fly, which would have been the third out of the inning.
BG pushed one run across in the ninth when Shay singled to left field to score Berti, who had led off with an infield single, to make the score 6-4 with runners on first and second with one out. The Falcons hit the ball hard in their last two at-bats, but right at somebody. Junior Derek Spencer, who was pinch-hitting, lined out to third base and Elkins made the final out on a smash to the first baseman that he smothered and was able to touch the bag for the final out.
Bowling Green, who had 12 hits in the game, were led by Shay who had four hits in as many at-bats, to tie his career high, and Berti, who had a career-high three safeties. Shay had BG's other two RBI.
Smith started and went 5.0 innings striking out five and walking five while allowing only four hits. Senior Dusty Hawk went the final three innings striking out two and allowing only two hits and two unearned runs.
The two teams will meet again Saturday for the middle game of the series at 1 p.m. (eastern time). The game will start one hour earllier than scheduled to try and beat weather that is anticipated to hit Dekalb in the afternoon.
