Bowling Green State University
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
FALCONS LOSE MAC TOURNEY OPENER, 6-2
May 21, 2009 | Baseball
May 21, 2009
CHILLICOTHE, OHIO - The Bowling Green State University baseball team, who came into the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the #1 seed and with the nations ninth best offense (.348 team batting average), was stifled by two Central Michigan pitchers as the Chippewas pulled the upset of the Falcons by a 6-2 count in the opening game for both teams. The game was completed Thursday morning after starting Wednesday night and getting suspended after a power failure in the area around VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.
Central Michigan won day one of the game that started at 8:20 p.m on Wednesday (May 20) and was suspended shortly after a transformer at a power station that feeds about half the city of Chillicothe blew at 9:25 p.m. because animals had chewed through some wires. The Falcons went to bed Wednesday night trailing by a 4-1 count in the middle of the fourth inning.
The bottom of the order did most the damage for the Chippewas in the first half of the game as they had half of CMU's six hits and three of the four RBI.
Central Michigan got the upper hand early as they got to BG starter Brennan Smith, the MAC Pitcher of the Year, in the second inning. With two outs, first baseman Nate Theunissen, the #7 hitter, drew a walk and moved around to third on a double to left field by third baseman William Arnold, who bats eighth in the Chips lineup. The number nine hitter, shortstop Robbie Harman, then got the Chippewas on the board with a single, on a 2-2 count, the opposite way to right field, just over BG first baseman Brian Hangbers outstretched glove, that plated Theunissen and Harman. Center fielder Andrew Thomas then had an infield single to the hole at shortstop to put runners on first and second, but Smith got the final out on a ground ball to first base.
CMU added a run in the third as right fielder Matt Faiman hit a one out home run to straight away center field. It was Faiman's fourth round-tripper of the season.
The Falcons got to CMU starter Dan Taylor, a left-hander who earned second team All-MAC honors, in the bottom of the third on a lead off home run by center fielder T.J. Blanton over the scoreboard in left center field. Senior shortstop Ryan Shay then doubled to right field and advanced to third on a sacrifice by Hangbers. Junior second baseman Logan Meisler, a first team All-MAC selection this season, then hit a fly ball to medium deep right field that Faiman caught and threw a strike home to double up Shay trying to score. It was Blanton's eighth home run of the season. Blanton has batted from the #9 spot in the Falcon order all season but is tied for third on the team in home runs.
There were a total of 20 home runs hit in the first three games of the tournament.
Smith got the first two batters on strike outs in the fourth, but Harman hit his second home run of the season to left field giving the Chippewas a 4-1 lead.
The lights then went out as Bowling Green was preparing to come to the plate in the bottom of the fourth.
When the game was resumed at 9:02 a.m. on Thursday (May 21), neither starting pitcher was able to continue, so the Falcons went with sophomore right-hander Charles Wooten, who had been effective in last four outings with a 3.27 ERA in 11 innings of work with 14 strike outs and one win and two saves. His win and one of those saves came last weekend in the two wins over Akron to capture the league titles and #1 seed in the tournament. The Chippewas countered with another left-hander. Steve Teno.
The Falcons did not waste any time getting on the board as freshman left fielder Jon Berti, after a strike out, hit Teno's fifth pitch for a home run to left field to make the score 4-2. It was Berti's fifth round-tripper of the season.
BG had a an opportunity in the fifth as Blanton doubled down the left field line with one out, but Teno retired the next two batters on strike outs.
Wooten retired nine of the first 10 he faced, but the one who reached, Thomas on a walk in the seventh, got into scoring position by stealing second, but Wooten got the last out on a ground out to second base.
The Falcons squandered an opportunity in the seventh when sophomore designated hitter Ryan Schlater led off with a single to left center. But, he was erased on a double play when junior right fielder Mark Galvin's sacrifice bunt attempt hit the ground in front of the plate and popped up into the glove of CMU catcher Dale Cornstubble who threw to Harman at second to get Schlater, and Harman completed the play with his throw to first to get Galvin. Blanton then singled in the hole at short, but Shay lined out to first base to end the threat.
CMU got a runner in scoring position in eighth after a walk, a fielder's choice and Faiman stole second with one out. But, Wooten struck out left fielder Scott Phillion and designated hitter Billy Anderson to end the threat.
The eight-seeded Chippewas (28-28) scored two runs in the ninth and Harman was in the middle of the rally. Theunissen singled off Wooten's foot and was sacrificed to second. Harman then singled to right center field to score Theunissen. Harman then moved to second on a ground out and scored when he stole third base and the throw by Falcon catcher Tyler Elkins was wide of the bag allowing Harman to score CMU's sixth run of the game.
Elkins singled in the ninth, but the game ended on a 6-4-3 double play.
Smith got the loss dropping his record to 8-4 on the season while Wooten had another strong outing going the last five innings allowing two hits and one earned run. Wooten had four strike outs and Smith had six in his four innings of work.
Teno improved to 4-8 with the win going six innings allowing only six hits and one earned run while striking out five. BG batters struck out 10 times in the contest.
Harman was 3-for-4 with four RBI for the Chippewas while Blanton had three hits for the Falcons and an RBI and Berti had a pair of hits and the other RBI.
The Falcons (28-21) will have to come right back today (May 21) against Miami in an elimination game on that side of the bracket. That will be the third game of the day with the approximate starting time at 2:30 p.m. Sophomore Matt Malewitz, a first team All-MAC selection, will get the start for the Falcons.
