Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
FAIRFIELD
Baseball Team Wins Spring Trip Opener
March 08, 2009 | Baseball
March 8, 2009
WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - The Bowling Green State University baseball team got its spring trip started on a positive note posting an 11-3 victory over Fairfield Saturday afternoon. The game, the first of eight in eight days for the Falcons on their trip, was played at the Chain O'Lakes Complex in Winter Haven, Fla.
The Falcons had a season-high 16 hits and seven different players had RBI as BG won its first game of the season after opening with six losses in a row.
Sophomore right-hander Brennan Smith was the story for the Falcons going five complete innings allowing only a pair of singles and striking out six. Smith faced only 18 batters, three more than the minimum, in his best stint of the season to post his first win against two losses and lower his ERA to 4.26.
Junior outfielder Mark Galvin drove in the first of his two runs with an RBI single in the second inning to give the Falcons the early lead. Junior third baseman Derek Spencer led off the inning with a single, was sacrificed to second and advanced to third on a ground out before Galvin's single plated the run.
The Falcons then scored seven runs over the next three innings to back the strong pitching by Smith.
Senior shortstop Ryan Shay led off the third inning drawing a walk, and after he was sacrificed to second, scored on a Spencer home run. After junior second baseman Logan Meisler drew a walk, junior David Borcherdt doubled in Meisler with the third run of the inning.
In the fourth inning, Galvin led off with a single and with two outs scored on a single by freshman Patrick Martin who Spencer drove in two batters later with a single to right field.
The Falcons added to their advantage in the fifth inning as Borcherdt led off the inning with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice and scored on Galvin's fielder's choice. Galvin would score when the next batter, junior T.J. Blanton, doubled to left field.
BG finished its best offensive day of the season with a three-run seventh. With two outs, Blanton singled and stole second base before a single by Shay drove him in. Shay then stole second, advanced to third on Martin's second hit of the game, and scored on a balk. Martin scored the final run on senior first baseman Brian Hangber's single to left field.
Spencer and Blanton each had three hits to lead the 16-hit attack for the Falcons. Martin, Hangbers, Meisler and Galvin had a pair of hits each. Spencer had three RBI and Galvin plated a pair of runs.
Senior righty Marty Baird (1.2 innings) and freshman right-hander Ross Gerdeman also worked in the game for the Falcons on the mound. Gerdeman allowed only three hits and had one strikeout in 2.1 innings of work in his fourth appearance of the season.
Bowling Green will take on Eastern Kentucky in a 4 p.m. game Sunday at the same complex in Winter Haven.
Fairfield 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 -- 3 8 0
BGSU 0 1 3 2 2 0 3 0 X -- 11 16 0
