Cardinals Double Up Falcons, 12-6

Friday, April 9

Bowling Green, Ohio

3:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Ball State University

Jon Berti (#5) went 3-for-4 with two RBI against Ball State Friday night in the Falcons' 12-6 loss to the Cardinals.

April 09, 2010 | Baseball

By: by Ryan Gasser, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Box score
Updated statistics

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Despite Bowling Green senior outfielder T.J. Blanton extending his hit streak to 19 games with a seventh inning double, the Ball State Cardinals defeated the Falcons, 12-6, on Friday afternoon. The Falcons knocked out 14 hits over nine frames, but allowed ten runs in the first five innings of the game creating a hole too deep to overcome by game's end.

Bowling Green starting pitcher Brennan Smith (1-4) lasted only 2.1 innings and took the loss after allowing six runs in that time. The Falcon bullpen allowed as many runs over the next 6.2 innings, striking out six Cardinal hitters and walked four.

Bowling Green scored a run in the first inning on Derek Spencer's RBI single into center field, scoring Meisler from second base. After one inning, the score was tied at one.

After BSU scored a run in the second inning, the Cardinals put a four-spot on the board in the top of the third inning. Three runs were scored before an out was recorded on a Zach Dygert double to center field and a two-run single by Stephen Claypool through the right side on a full count. Spencer fielded a one-hop grounder and caught Kory Benbow between third and home before BGSU catcher Ryan Schlater tagged him out at the plate for the first out. After hitting his second batter of the inning, Nick Bruns came into the game for Smith. Bruns allowed a RBI sacrifice fly but then closed the inning out, stranding two runners.

The Falcons added a second run in the third inning when Jon Berti singled through the right side, scoring Meisler for the second time in the game from second base.

Ball State added three more runs in the fourth after three consecutive extra base hits to open the inning. Dygert tripled home Kolbrin Vitek after he stretched a single to center into a double. Ian Nielsen then hit a two-run home run to right center field, making the score 9-2, Cardinals.

Ball State went on the score three more runs before the game ended, but Bowling Green chipped away at the Cardinal lead. #T.J. Blanton and Mark Galvin# hit back-to-back one-out doubles in the seventh inning, scoring Blanton. With his double, Blanton extends his hitting streak to a Mid-American Conference best 19 games. Following a passed ball advancing Galvin to third, Berti added another RBI to his game total after hitting a RBI sacrifice fly that scored Galvin.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bowling Green scored two runs with two outs. Berti continued his success legging out a two-out triple to center field. David Borcherdt followed up with a double to right field that scored Berti. Taylor Rhoades knocked in his first run of his career on just his third at-bat of the season. On an 0-1 pitch, Rhoades cranked a fastball on the outside part of the plate straight into center field that scored Borcherdt. Andrew Kuns struck out looking to end the game with the final score 12-6, Ball State Cardinals.

The Falcons' loss gives them an overall record of 8-16-1 with a conference mark of 2-5. Ball State improves to 11-16 overall and 6-1 in the Mid-American Conference.

Bowling Green and Ball State will continue the series on Saturday afternoon with a one o'clock first pitch from Warren E. Steller Field. Sophomore Michael Frank (1-1, 4.41) will take on BSU's Cal Bowling (1-3, 5.12) in game two of three of the series.

Follow the Falcons during the entire season through BGSUFalcons.com and find everything you need on Falcon baseball on Gameday Central, located on the BGSU baseball homepage.