Falcon Bats Silenced on Throwback Day in 9-1 Loss to Kent State

Saturday, May 15

Kent, Ohio

3:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

Kent State University

May 15, 2010 | Baseball

By: by Ryan Gasser, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

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KENT, Ohio -- After Bowling Green fell in a slugfest Friday all hopes were that the team would continue to use the hot bats they had in the first four innings of Friday's game in the second contest of the weekend set. Unfortunately, Kent State starting pitcher Brandon Sabo had other plans, limiting the Falcons to five total hits and one run while his team backed his complete game performance with nine runs. Bowling Green avoided the shut out but the Golden Flashes prevailed as victors, 9-1, on Saturday's Throwback Day.

The Falcons and Flashes both brought out flashback jerseys from their glory days of the past. Each were welcomed by the public address announcer, fully equipped with his megaphone to administer starting lineups, timeless trivia and random baseball facts from yesteryear and a local harmonic group resembling relic barbershop quartets belted out the National Anthem while fans enjoyed “Red Hots” and bottled Coke products at prices reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s.

Kent State went 3-for-3 in scoring runs in the first three frames of action against the Falcons and took a 3-0 lead before BGSU got on the scoreboard. Michael Frank lasted only two innings and faced an additional batter in the third before being lifted.

The Golden Flashes posted two runs in the first inning on a two-run home run by Jared Klafczynski. After falling behind in the count, 2-0, Klafczynski belted the next pitch deep and over the tall right center field wall to give the Flashes an early two-run lead. In the second inning, Jimmy Rider led things off with a double down the left field line and advanced on a wild pitch that stemmed from a strike out by Frank. With a runner at third, a sacrifice fly plated Rider for a three run, KSU advantage.

Bowling Green scored its first run in the top of the third inning after a hit batter gave the Falcons the runner they needed to cash in on an extra-base hit by its top freshman, Matthew Pitzulo. Clay Duncan led the top of the third off and on a 3-2 count was nicked in the arm by a fastball from KSU starter Sabo. On the very next pitch, Pitzulo blasted a long line drive to the right center field gap for a two-bagger. Turning his motor on, Duncan wheeled himself all the way from first to home plate to get the Falcons on the board, 3-1.

Kent State added their fourth run in the home half of the third with a leadoff, solo homer by Anthony Gallas. On the first pitch of the inning, Gallas took the first pitch he saw and hit it over the left field fence to put the Golden Flashes up three runs.

Cody Apthorpe interrupted the Golden Flashes scoring streak allowing only one run in his 3.2 inning of relief and limiting KSU to only one hit while the freshman toed the rubber. Apthorpe retired five hitters in a row and did not let a runner past second base before his final frame of work in the sixth.

The Golden Flashes tacked on two more runs, one in the sixth and seventh innings. Ross Gerdeman entered the game with one down in the sixth and inherited a bases loaded jam after a base hit and a pair of walks. Gerdeman surrendered another walk to Travis Shaw for the easy RBI and a 5-1 lead. Kent State added one more in the seventh after a single plated McMillen after his leadoff double.

A three-run eighth on some timely hitting put the Flashes up 9-1 heading into the ninth inning. Sabo allowed one hit in the ninth, but shut down the remainder of the Bowling Green lineup to finish his complete game and take game two by the same final score.

Bowling Green (24-21-1, 14-9) now trails Kent State (31-21, 15-8) by one game in the Mid-American Conference East Division standings following the loss. Though the teams will store away today's throwback uniforms for another special day, the Falcons and Golden Flashes will meet again in game three of the weekend series on Sunday and ready for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch from Schoonover Stadium. Full coverage will be provided on BGSUFalcons.com, including live audio, statistics and a live, interactive blog.