Falcons Emerge Victorious in Slugfest with Toledo

Saturday, April 16

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

University of Toledo

April 16, 2011 | Baseball

By: by Ryan Gasser, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Bowling Green had two wait two hours for the skies to clear and the rain to stop before the Falcons and Toledo Rockets could take the field on a dismal Saturday afternoon. The wait was well worth it as judged by the final result with the Falcons outslugging the Rockets, winning a 13-10 game.

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Bowling Green scored nine times over the first three innings knocking the Rockets' season wins leader Kyle Shaw out of the game after 2.1 innings on the mound. The top three hitters in the BGSU lineup that consisted of Frank Berry (Virginia Beach, Va.), Ryan Schlater (St. Paris, Ohio) and Jon Berti (Troy, Mich.) went an astounding 8-for-13 with seven runs scored and seven runs batted in. Both Schlater and Berti had three-hit performances on the day while Andrew Kubuski (Elyria, Ohio) and Clay Duncan (Norwalk, Ohio) both posted a pair of hits and a RBI.

The Falcons posted two runs in each of the first two innings, capitalizing on a pair of RBI singles by Jon Berti and Clay Duncan in the first and RBI hits in the second by Ryan Schlater and Berti.

Taking a 4-1 lead into the third inning, the Falcons exploded for five runs to take a 9-1 advantage. The innings began poorly for the Rockets after Duncan singled to right field and then scored after a three-base throwing error by UT third baseman Joe Corfman on a close play at first with Logan Walker (Richmond, Va.). The error allowed Duncan to score from first base and Walker trotted into third base. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by freshman catcher #T.J. Losby# (Bryan, Ohio).

Frank Berry took the lead even further with his first home run of the season, plating three runs on a bomb that fought through the furious Bowling Green winds and over the left center field fence. The three-run shot capped off the five-run innings and gave the Falcons an eight run advantage after three innings.
Behind sophomore starting pitcher Nick Bruns (St. Henry, Ohio) the Falcons allowed two runs over the first five innings. Toledo shortstop Chris Dudics scored from third on a wild pitch in the opening inning to take a temporary 1-0 lead and Jeff Cola rounded the bases on a RBI single from nine-hitter Wes White, at the time making the score of the game, 9-2.

The Falcons answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jon Berti recorded his third run scoring hit of the game with a single to left field, scoring Berry from second base. After Ryan Schlater advanced to third on the same single the senior scored on a passed ball from UT pitcher Alex Radon, making it an 11-2 game.

With the game seemingly becoming out of reach for the Rockets, the visitors mounted a turnaround with a six-run sixth inning. The Rockets batted around the lineup and started the frame getting their first three hitters on base before a sacrifice fly and a two-RBI single by Ben Hammer drove them around to score. Mike Frank (Maumee, Ohio) relieved Bruns on the mound but walked the first hitter he faced. Matt Delewski made him pay for the mistake with a two-out, three-run home run to bring the Rockets within three runs of the Falcons, 11-8.

Bowling Green scored one run in response to the Rockets' rally in the home half of the sixth inning. Logan Walker was beaned and stole second base as Patrick Martin (Oregon, Ohio) struck out swinging. The freshman was injured on the play, sliding head first into the base safely. The injury to his left arm forced him to exit the game and bring sophomore Taylor Rhoades (Wheaton, Ill.) in to pinch run. Rhoades made his entrance known by scoring from second on a RBI single by freshman Andrew Kubuski.

Rhoades struck again in the next inning with a run scoring double down the line in left field. The hit scored Schlater who was also hit to lead off the inning. The score after seven complete was 13-8 in favor of the Falcons.

Toledo made an attempt the get back into the ball game down five runs. They posted a pair in the top of the eighth inning on a two-RBI double by Delewski but did not get any closer in the 13-10 Falcon victory.
Nick Bruns earned his third win of the season in a 5.2 inning outing where he allowed 11 hits, six runs and struck out one Rocket hitter. Mike Frank earned his fourth save of the season going 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out four hitters.

Bowling Green (13-18, 7-4) jumped into second place in the MAC East with the win and a Miami loss today while Toledo (18-17, 7-4) tumbles into a tie for second place with Ball State in the MAC West. The Falcons and Rockets will conclude their series on Sunday at 1 p.m. from Steller Field.

Full coverage of Falcon baseball and all 18 varsity sports can be found on the official online home of BGSU athletics, www.BGSUFalcons.com. Be sure to follow the Falcons on Facebook by searching “BG Warriors” or follow them on Twitter through www.twitter.com/WEAREBGBASEBALL.