Bowling Green State University Athletics
Bowling Green State University
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Falcons Lose 27-7 To Eastern Michgan
April 08, 2009 | Baseball
April 8, 2009
BOWLING GREEN, OHIO - With the wind blowing out to right center field at around 20 miles per hour, Eastern Michigan came to Steller Field Wednesday afternoon and hit nine home runs on their way to a 27-7 win over Bowling Green. The game does not count in the Mid-American Conference standings as EMU improved to 7-23 while the Falcons dropped to 13-14.
The Eagles hit the first of their home runs in their first at-bat as designated hitter Andrew Marshall connected to right field with one out and two runners aboard for an early 3-0 lead.
EMU then broke the game open with seven runs in the second inning on six hits as right fielder Wally Gerbus, who came into the game hitting .188 in 32 at-bats, hit his first of four home runs, a two-run shot to left field to make it 5-0. Later in the frame, Marshall had a two-run single and first baseman Aaron Powell hit a three-run homer to center field for a 10-0 advantage.
The Falcons scored a run in their half of the second as junior Mark Galvin homered to right field on an 0-2 pitch and they added a pair of runs in the third inning on consecutive fielders's choices after they had loaded the bases with no outs. After three innings, EMU had an 11-3 lead.
But, if the game wasn't decided at that point, the Eagles put an exclamation point on the contest in the middle innings scoring 15 runs. Second baseman Aaron Crooks had a two-run triple in the fourth and center fielder Kyle Rhoad added a three-run home run later. In the fifth, Eastern Michigan hit two solo home runs, a two-run round-tripper, by Gerbus, and had a two-run single. A three-run home run, by Gerbus, and a ground out accounted for the Eagles scoring in the sixth as hey had built a 26-5 lead after six innings.
BG did scratch out two runs in the fourth on a two-out single up the middle by senior Ryan Shay and they scored twice in the seventh inning without getting a hit as one run was walked in and another scored on a ground out.
Shay had three hits in the game for the Falcons and a pair of RBI while senior Ryan Price had a pair of hits as BG managed only seven safeties after coming into the game hitting an MAC-best .330 as team.
Gerbus' four home runs equalled the conference record and his 16 total bases is the second-highest total in league annals. His eight RBI was two off the league mark. EMU had three players with four hits while Rhoad went 5-for-6 as the Eagles pounded out 28 hits. The 27 runs and 28 hits were the most ever against a Bowling Green team. All 27 runs for the Eagles were earned, also the highest figure ever against Bowling Green.
The Falcons used 10 different pitchers with freshman starter Ross Gerdeman, who gave up the three first-inning runs, suffering the loss.
BG returns to MAC action this weekend hosting Ball State for a three-game series at Steller Field. First pitch for Friday's opener is scheduled for 3 p.m.
