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Bowling Green State University
MIAMI (OH)
BG Drops Final Game Of Series To Miami, 14-14
April 26, 2009 | Baseball
April 26, 2009
BOWLING GREEN, OHIO - On a weekend when it wasn't good to be a pitcher, Miami University had a little bit more pitching than Bowling Green on Sunday afternoon taking a 14-12 decision at Steller Field. With the win, Miami moves back into third place in the Mid-American Conference East Division with an 11-7 mark while the Falcons fell to 10-7. The RedHawks are 21-18 on the season while Bowling Green is now 20-17.
Bowling Green had already clinched the series with wins on Friday (18-15) and Saturday (15-10). The weekend winners were the hitters on both sides and Mother Nature as winds in excess of 20 miles per hour blew out to center field for all three games.
The teams combined to score 84 runs in the three games with 26 home runs and 99 hits. Both pitching staffs, who come into the weekend second (Miami) and sixth in the conference, took it on the chin as Bowling Green had an 11.00 ERA and Miami a 14.76 mark for the three games.
In the game Sunday, it looked like it might be another contest like Friday, when the team combined for 15 home runs, as the first eight runs of the game scored on five home runs. But, with BG leading 6-3 after three innings, there would be only one other home run over the final six frames.
Bowling Green third baseman Derek Spencer hit a two-run homer in the first inning and repeated his effort again in the third inning while right fielder Mark Galvin put one run up in the second on a home run. Miami catcher Adam Weiseburger hit a two-run homer in the second inning and third baseman Jordan Petraitis led off the third inning with a round tripper to account for the early game fireworks via the home run.
Miami closed the Bowling Green lead to 6-4 in the fifth inning on a two-out single by designated hitter Eric Darlage. Then both teams offenses took turns putting crooked numbers on the board in the sixth inning.
In the top half, Miami scored seven runs on five hits as BG pitchers added three walks and a wild pitch to the cause. Right fielder Adam Eaton, who reached base safely in 13 of his 18 at-bats in the series, drove in two of the runs with a triple to left center. Weisenburger had a two-run double to right center later in the inning, and shortstop Brad Gschwind drove in the final run with a single through the right side. When the dust had cleared, the Redhawks had an 11-6 lead.
But, the Falcons had other ideas in the bottom half responding with six runs on six hits to take a 12-11 lead. Shortstop Ryan Shay hit a three-run homer to right center to get the inning going with Spencer driving in another of the runs with a double and second baseman Logan Meisler added an RBI single.
Both pitching staffs put up zeros in the seventh and eighth innings, the only time that happened in the three games, before Miami scored three runs in the top of the ninth to decide the game.
With one out, Gschwind singled through the left side against BG senior right-hander Marty Baird, who had come into the game in the sixth and retired the RedHawks without any damage in the seventh and eighth innings. After a walk, center fielder Ryan Curl doubled to left center to drive in both runs and give Miami the lead. The third run of the inning scored on a sacrifice fly by Petraitis.
The Falcons got two runners on with two outs against winning pitcher Jamaal Hollis (3-0) in the bottom of the ninth, but Shay grounded out to the shortstop to end the BG threat.
Spencer was 3-for-3 with the two home runs and five RBI to lead the Falcons offensively. He added three runs scored as his RBI total equalled his career high in a game. Shay, first baseman Tyler Elkins, left fielder Jon Berti and Galvin all had two hits with Shay collecting three RBI on his home run. Baird suffered loss, his second this season.
Weisenburger had three hits and four RBI for Miami while Curl had three hits and two RBI.
In the three-game series, Spencer hit five home runs and drove in eight runs while scoring nine times. Shay hit four home runs and had eight RBI while scoring eight runs. Spencer hit .750 (9-of-12) for the series as BG hit .424 as a team and had a team slugging percentage of .896. BG hit 17 of the 26 home runs hit by both teams on the weekend.
