Bowling Green State University
OHIO
BG Wins Second Game Of Series With Ohio On Two Big Innings
May 02, 2009 | Baseball
May 2, 2009
BOWLING GREEN, OHIO - The Bowling Green State University baseball team moved to within one game of the lead in the Mid-American Conference East Division after a 13-7 win Saturday afternoon at Steller Field over Ohio. Believe it or not, BG is in fourth place in the division just one game behind Kent State (13-6), a 10-6 loser at Buffalo on Saturday. The Falcons, at 12-7, also trail Ohio and Miami, who are now tied for second in the division with 13-7 marks. Miami was a 3-2 winner at Akron on Saturday.
The Falcons scored almost all their runs in the win over Ohio in two innings as they took the early advantage with a five-run second inning. After Ohio came back to make it a one-run game in the sixth with three runs, the Falcons put the game away with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 12-4 contest.
In the five-run second for BG, third baseman Derek Spencer was hit by a pitch to open the inning and second baseman Logan Meisler doubled to left field to put runners on second and third. Junior designated hitter Dennis Vaughn then dove home both runners with a single up the middle. Left fielder Jon Berti followed with a single up the middle with Vaughn advancing to third. Berti was then picked off at first before right fielder Mark Galvin hit a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Vaughn. Center fielder T.J. Blanton then singled through the left side and shortstop Ryan Shay hit his 11th home run of the season to center field to make it 5-0.
OU came right back and got one of those back in the third on a lead off home run by catcher Chris Klimko, his second of the year, and they had the base loaded with two outs in the fifth when BG starter Matt Malewitz got Bobcat third baseman Marc Krauss to foul out to Spencer to end that threat.
OU cut the BG lead to 5-4 in the sixth inning on second baseman Brandon Besl's three-run homer to right center after the first two batters in the inning had singled. It was Besl's second home run in as many days and his sixth of the season.
But, the Falcons countered with seven runs on seven hits in the bottom half of the inning for the 12-4 lead knocking out OU starter Rex Ingham and senior lefty Zach Fairbanks before freshman right-hander Michael Dillon could retire the side.
Catcher Tyler Elkins led off the inning, one in which eight of the first nine batters would reach safely and the Falcons would send 11 batters to the plate, with a single before Spencer doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Meisler drove home the first run of the frame with a single before Vaughn walked to load the bases. Berti then ripped a triple to center field, that hit halfway up the fence, to clear the bases. Galvin followed with an RBI single while Shay drove in a run with a double and Hangbers completed the inning with an RBI single.
Malewitz went the first 6.2 innings allowing 11 hits and four earned runs before sophomore Charles Wooten came in with two outs and runners on second and third in the seventh and retired Besl on a strike out to end the Bobcat threat.
Ohio did get three runs in the eighth against Wooten on a two-out home run by center fielder Gaunlett Eldemire that got the Bobcats within 12-7. The next OU batter doubled, but Wooten struck out right fielder Hayden Johnson to retire the side. It was Eldemire's second homer of the series and 15th of the season.
BG scored one in the bottom of the eighth and had a runner thrown out at home. Shay singled to lead off and Hangbers followed with a double to right field, but Shay was thrown out at home on a strong relay throw by Besl trying to score. After a ground out moved Hangbers to third, Spencer singled to the hole on the left side plating Hangbers with the final run.
Malewitz earned his fourth win in five decisions this season for the Falcons while Ingham lost for only the second time in eight decisions for the Bobcats.
Every BG player in the order collected at least one hit with Shay, Meisler and Vaughn all collecting three on the day. Shay and Berti each had three RBI as every player in the order except Elkins and Blanton had an RBI. Elkins extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a 1-for-5 day and Berti has now hit in eight consecutive games with his two hits Saturday.
OU also had every player in its lineup get a hit as Klimko led the way with three safeties while Eldemire and Besl had three RBI apiece.
The Falcons, who won the opening game of the series Friday by a 12-9 count, are now 22-18 overall while OU is also now 22-18 on the season. The Bobcats have lived on the home run in the series hitting seven in the two games accounting for 15 of the 16 runs they have scored. There were a total of 11 extra-base hits by the two teams in the game on Saturday.
The two teams meet in the series finale, with the Falcons looking for their first sweep of an MAC series this season, on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
