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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
EASTERN KENTUCKY
Falcons Win Second Game In Florida
March 08, 2009 | Baseball
March 8, 2009
WINTER HAVEN, FLA. - The Bowling Green State University baseball team made it two in a row on their spring trip with an 8-4 victory over Eastern Kentucky at the Chain `O Lakes Complex in Winter Haven, Fla. Sunday afternoon. The Falcons began play on their spring trip with an 11-3 win over Fairfield Saturday.
BGSU got strong relief pitching in support of sophomore starting pitcher Matt Malewitz and the offense came alive in the final four innings scoring six runs to produce the victory.
Bowling Green jumped on top in their first at-bat as senior shortstop Ryan Shay led off with a single. He advanced to second on a single by junior Dennis Vaughn and after moving to third on a fly out, scored on a sacrifice fly from junior third baseman Derek Spencer.
After Eastern Kentucky, who beat Louisville just before leaving on their spring trip, scored on a triple and a single in their half of the third inning, the Falcons regained the lead in the fourth on an unearned run after Spencer doubled and scored on a passed ball and a ground out.
The Colonels had their biggest inning in the fourth when they struck for three runs on a pair of triples sandwiched around a Falcon error and a passed ball. But, that would be the last of the offense for Eastern Kentucky as BG pitchers allowed only three hits the rest of the way and no EKU player advanced farther than second base over the last five innings.
The Falcons chipped away at the 4-2 deficit after four innings first by scoring a single tally in the sixth as Shay reached on an error to lead off the frame. A ground out and single by senior first baseman Brian Hangbers advanced Shay to third where he scored on the second sacrifice fly of the game from Spencer.
BG then took the lead for good in the seventh with a pair of runs on just one hit. With two outs, junior T.J. Blanton was hit by a pitch and Shay drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Both advanced on a double steal before sophomore Clay Duncan, pinch-hitting for Vaughn after EKU had made a pitching change, stroked a clutch single to left center to drive in both runs.
The Falcons added to their advantage in the eighth as with one out junior Tyler Elkins reached on an infield single and junior David Borcherdt on fielder's choice. Junior Logan Meisler then drove home Elkins with a single through the right side of the infield and freshman Jon Berti followed with a bunt single to drive in Borcherdt as the Falcons took a 7-4 edge.
The Falcons added some insurance in the final inning as Hangbers tripled with two outs and Spencer's shot up the middle gave him his third RBI of the game.
Malewitz went 5.2 innings giving up seven hits while striking out four and allowing three earned runs. Sophomore Richie O'Brien picked up his first collegiate victory pitching two-thirds of an inning and allowing just one hit.
Sophomore Charles Wooten earned his first save of the season, and third of his career, by getting out of a jam in the seventh inning with the Falcons clinging to a one-run lead. Wooten came into the game with the bases loaded and one out and got EKU third baseman Jayson Langfels to ground into an inning-ending double play. Wooten would also be the beneficiary of double plays in both the eight and ninth innings as BG ended their second successive game with a twin-killing.
BG got at least one hit from every spot in the batting order except one with Elkins collecting three safeties and an RBI while Spencer and Hangbers had a pair of hits each. Shay scored all three times he reached base in the game.
Bowling Green will be right back in action in Winter Haven tomorrow (Monday) in a 12:30 p.m. contest against Bucknell. The Falcons are now 2-6 on the season while EKU dropped to 3-4 with the loss.
