Seven Pitchers and Eight Runs Help Falcons Extend Winning Streak to Nine

Wednesday, April 28

Cleveland, Ohio

4:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Cleveland State University

Cody Apthorpe (above) earned his second win of the season and extended the Falcons' winning streak to nine in their 8-2 win over CSU Wednesday.

Seven Pitchers and Eight Runs Help Falcons Extend Winning Streak to Nine

April 28, 2010 | Baseball

By: by Ryan Gasser, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Box score
Updated Statistics

AVON, Ohio -- The Falcons extended their season-high win streak to nine games after beating Cleveland State for the second time in the season in their 8-2 Wednesday afternoon win. Bowling Green scored four times in the second and fifth innings in the win and climb above a .500 winning percentage for the first time this season with their 19^th win of the season.

Cody Apthorpe earned his second win of the season after pitching three scoreless innings to begin the game for the Falcons. The Bowling Green bullpen then allowed two runs in the fourth and kept the Vikings scoreless for the remaining five innings, using a different pitcher in each frame.

Derek Spencer and Jon Berti reached base in the second inning after being hit by a pitch. Cleveland State reliever Jimmy Cowhy then allowed a sharp single by Brandon McFarland to right field loaded the bases leading to a CSU fielding error that resulted in the first run crossing the plate. Matt Vannett added two more runs on a single to left center field, scoring Berti and McFarland. A balk by Cowhy plated another Bowling Green run later in the inning, leading to a 4-0 lead on the Vikings.

The Vikings scored twice in the fourth inning against Frank Berry, who performed for the first time since his March 11 relief appearance against Yale. The Falcon bullpen allowed nothing more for the duration of the game.

The Falcons took an 8-2 lead after their second four-run inning of the game, putting a four-spot up on the Vikings in the fifth inning. #T.J. Blanton# led the frame off with an inside-the-park home run, his tenth round-tripper of the season. Three consecutive singles from the Falcons loaded the bases once against before Andrew Kuns cleared them with a three-run double to left field.

After the Vikings scored twice in the home half of the fifth, five different BGSU pitchers kept Cleveland State scoreless for the rest of the contest. In the last two innings of the game, Bowling Green's Ross Gerdeman and Patrick O'Brien struck out five of the six batters they combined to face. Of the last 15 Viking outs, seven were by way of strike out.

The Falcons tallied 11 hits against five CSU pitchers. Derek Spencer and David Borcherdt both had a pair of hits on the day, while Spencer was one of six players to score at least one run. Kuns finished the day with four RBI and a run scored. Apthorpe finished with his second win after three innings of work, striking out three and only allowing two hits in a shortened start.

Bowling Green (19-18-1, 9-6) now rides a nine game winning streak, tops in the Mid-American Conference and pulls themselves above .500 for the first time this season. They defeat CSU for the second time this season, defeating them earlier this year, 6-5, in a ten-inning affair on April 13.

The Falcons will continue their climb to the top of the conference standings and will host their next six games at home. This weekend they invite the third place Miami RedHawks (20-20, 7-8) to town for a weekend series. Bowling Green currently stands comfortably in second place in the MAC East two games ahead of Miami in the conference standings.