Brown and Orange Fall Short of Weekend Sweep of Toledo

Sunday, April 17

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

University of Toledo

April 17, 2011 | Baseball

BGSU lost its Sunday weekend finale to Toledo, 7-4 but takes the series, 2-1.

By: by Ryan Gasser, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Dawning the team's throwback uniform from the post-World War II era, the Falcons looked to repeat the history created in each of the two previous days against the Toledo Rockets. Bowling Green came up short of their quest for the weekend sweep of UT leaving the tying run at the plate in a 7-4 loss on Sunday afternoon.

April 17, 2011 -- Final
	R	H	E
Toledo	7	15	1
Bowling Green	4	12	2

Box score (.html) | Box score (.pdf) | Play by play (.pdf) | Updated Statistics (.html)

The visiting Rockets (19-17, 8-4) took a 5-0 lead after three innings of play and made its big move toward victory scoring four runs in the third inning. Each of the first four hitters brought to the plate for UT scored, beginning with leadoff hitter Chris Dudics hitting a solo home run to right field. After a fielding error on a pop fly to center field and BGSU starting pitcher Charles Wooten (Elmore, Ohio) beaning Chris Hammer, Rocket designated hitter Mark Lapikas started a chain of three consecutive RBI singles plating the next three runs for Toledo.

After Toledo scored its fifth run in the top of the third, the Falcons replaced Wooten (2-5) with junior Ross Gerdeman (Fort Jennings, Ohio). The right-hander retired nine of the next ten Toledo batters, giving the Falcons a chance to get back into the ballgame. Gerdeman also helped end a Rocket rally in the sixth, stranding two runners.

The Falcons made it a two-run game after scoring three times in the home half of the seventh inning. Frank Berry (Virginia Beach, Va.) led the inning off with a triple deep into the right field corner only to be driven home by Andrew Kubuski (Elyria, Ohio) on a single to center field. Jon Berti (Troy, Mich.) continued to be solid from the plate with the first of his two doubles on the day, pushing runners to second and third. Matt Pitzulo (Poland, Ohio) drove one run home on a single to right field and Clay Duncan (Norwalk, Ohio) finished the job with a sacrifice fly, scoring Berti.

Toledo retaliated with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth on Chris Dudics' second run scoring hit of the day, fourth overall, and a RBI double from Tyler Grogg to put the Rockets up 7-3.

Bowling Green (13-19, 7-5) made a run to tie the game by scoring one on a RBI single by Ryan Schlater (St. Paris, Ohio) and had runners at second and third with one out and a chance to tie the game twice. Despite the Falcons putting themselves in an optimistic situation, pinch hitters Jeremy Shay (Garden City, Mich.) and Matt Vannett (Bowling Green, Ohio) struck out swinging to end the game, 7-4.

Andrew Kubuski led the team with a 3-for-5 day at the plate, including a run scored and a RBI. Jon Berti also had a three-hit day and scored twice for BGSU. Ross Gerdeman pitched a season-high 5.1 innings, allowed seven hits and two runs while striking out three batters. Ben Singer (Midland, Mich.) continued his streak of consecutive appearances with at least one strikeout, now reaching ten straight games.

Despite the loss Bowling Green won the weekend series versus the Rockets, the third straight series they have done so. With the defeat and Miami's win over Western Michigan today, the RedHawks and Falcons now share second place in the MAC East standings. The Brown and Orange now prepare for a pair of mid-week games with Dayton (4/19, 4 p.m.) and Ohio State (4/20, 6:30 p.m.) before hosting Ohio University next weekend.

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.