Saturday, April 23
Bowling Green, Ohio
1:00 pm
Bowling Green State University
2
vs
5
Ohio University
Falcons Swept in Doubleheader Against Bobcats
April 23, 2011 | Baseball
Bowling Green drops both games of their doubleheader with Ohio on Saturday.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Bowling Green played host to the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday in a doubleheader played due to rainy conditions the previous day. Despite having chances to win or tie each game in the bottom of the ninth, the Falcons' day was marred with missed opportunities and runners left of base in a pair of losses to the Bobcats. BGSU lost game one by a 5-2 count and game two, 7-5, in ten innings.
The relief pitching combo and Mike Frank (Maumee, Ohio) and Ross Gerdeman (Fort Jennings, Ohio) kept the Falcons in each ball game, limited the opposition to just one run over 8.2 innings of work on the day. Despite their efforts, the day for the hosts was summarized by leaving a combined 24 runners left on base, 12 in each contest and having hit into four double plays. Three of those came in their game two loss.
GAME ONE -- Ohio 5, Bowling Green 2
Box score (.html) | Box score (.pdf) | Play by play (.pdf)
| Final -- April 23, 2011 (game one) | |||
| R | H | E | |
| Ohio | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Bowling Green | 2 | 8 | 2 |
Doubleheader statistics (.pdf) | Updated statistics (.html)
The opener began an hour later than originally schedule following its designation as a doubleheader to allow for further field preparation but started off well for Falcon starting pitcher Cody Apthorpe (Windham, Ohio). The sophomore right-hander faced the minimum number of batters through four innings, retiring 11 straight and allowing only one base runner in that time.
The fifth inning was troublesome for Apthorpe after he allowed a leadoff home run to OU first baseman Taylor Emody. He allowed three runs in the frame, both runs scoring on a two-RBI single by Trace Voshell.
Up three runs after five inning, the Bobcats added another pair of runs in the sixth. The first two Bobcat base runners reached on an error in the field and after being hit by a pitch. Apthorpe allowed a run scoring single before leaving the game at a 4-0 score and was responsible for the fifth OU run when Mike Frank forced a sacrifice fly, scoring an additional tally.
Bowling Green scored a single run in both the eighth and ninth innings. Clay Duncan (Norwalk, Ohio) belted a RBI double to right center to score Matt Pitzulo (Poland, Ohio) from first base in the eighth. The sophomore then helped the second BGSU run cross the plate with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring T.J. Losby (Bryan, Ohio), who had entered the game as a pinch hitter.
The Falcons had runners on first and third with two outs in their last half of the ninth following' Pitzulo's sac fly but were unable to take advantage of having the tying run at the plate after Ryan Schlater (St. Paris, Ohio) grounded out to end the game.
Despite the 5-2 loss, the Falcons outhit the Bobcats in game one, 8-5. Six runners were left on base and in scoring position during game one, including another that had been picked off at third base prior to the end of the eighth inning. Ohio pitcher Seth Streich (1-5) went eight innings and faced two batters in the ninth inning in his 138-pitch outing before giving way to the bullpen.
GAME TWO -- Ohio 7, Bowling Green 5 (F/10)
Box score (.html) | Box score (.pdf) | Play by play (.pdf)
| Final -- April 23, 2011 (game two, F/10) | |||
| R | H | E | |
| Ohio | 7 | 12 | 2 |
| Bowling Green | 5 | 12 | 0 |
Doubleheader statistics (.pdf) | Updated statistics (.html)
Ohio struck first in game two with two runs in the first inning off BGSU starter Nick Bruns (St. Henry, Ohio). Bobcats Tyler Emody and Dan Ward hit back-to-back RBI singles for the 2-0 lead. They added a third run in their next at bat on an Ethan Newton single through the right side scoring another run and extending the Bobcat lead to three.
With the aid of only one hit the Falcons scored twice in the second inning. Patrick Martin (Oregon, Ohio) and Jeremy Shay (Garden City, Mich.) reached base by being hit by a pitch and a walk, respectively, and advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Andrew Kubuski (Elyria, Ohio) drove home one run on a sacrifice fly to left field before the Virginia Beach, Va. native Frank Berry doubled to deep center field, scoring a second Falcon run.
The teams swapped runs in the third and fourth inning, BGSU scoring a man while a double play was being turned before the hosts took their first lead of the day in the eighth. Berry tied the game in the seventh with a lead off, solo home run over the left field wall, his second home run of the season. The Falcons took advantage of an OU error in the eighth when Jeremy Shay scored from first following a double by T.J. Losby. With a fielding miscue in left field, Shay turned the burners on and raced home, the run resulting in the Falcons obtaining the lead for the first time all day.
The lead was short-lived after the Falcons relinquished the lead in the top of the ninth. Ross Gerdeman had kept the Bobcat off the board for five innings with a masterful piece of relief work out of the bullpen. He faced the first batter of the ninth inning and walked him on a questionable ball four call that had fans in Steller Field making noise. The run later crossed the plate when reliever Ben Singer (Midland, Mich.) allowed a single to Dan Ward, tying the game at five.
The game was decided in extra innings and no sooner that three batters into the top half of the tenth inning when nine-hitter Garrett Black, whose father is a former BGSU baseball player, hit a two-run home run to left field putting the Bobcats up, 7-5.
Victory was within reach after the Falcons loaded the bases in their half of the tenth with only one out. Back-to-back singles from Jeremy Shay and T.J. Losby plus Andrew Kubuski reaching on a fielding error gave the Falcons the opportunity to split the day, but Frank Berry struck out looking a top-down curveball from reliever Tyler Stage and Ryan Schlater capped off an 0-for-10 day by flying out to shallow centerfield, ending the game.
Bowling Green (14-21, 7-7 MAC) slides into third place in the MAC East after their losses and Miami taking two from Akron earlier today. The Falcons and the Bobcats (19-20, 5-9) will play again on Sunday at 1 p.m., though weather conditions are not promising for the day's event.
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.
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