Falcons Win 5-4 On Walk Off Single By Lancaster

Sunday, April 1

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

10-17, 2-4

Central Michigan University

12-16, 3-3

Central Michigan

Bowling Green

April 01, 2012 | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (BG 5 - CMU 4, F/15 innings)

Photo Gallery (photos by Alex Krempasky of BGSU Athletic Communications)

The Bowling Green State University baseball team defeated Central Michigan on Sunday afternoon, thanks to a Patrick Lancaster game-winning single in the bottom of the 15th inning, giving the Falcons a 5-4 win. The game, which tied the longest in school-history, took over four hours to complete. With the win, the Falcons are now 10-17 on the season, while improving to 2-4 in Mid-American Conference play.

The Falcons got off to a quick start, as Andrew Kubuski scored in the second, to give Bowling Green a 1-0 lead. Kubuski was 3-for-7 on the day, extending his hitting-streak to 14 games. In the bottom of the third, the Falcons would take a 4-0 lead on a Logan Walker home run to left field, his first of the season. Jake Thomas and Brandon Howard scored on the home run.

That would be the last time the Falcons would score until the 15th, as Central Michigan would work their way back into the game, scoring three runs in the sixth, and one in the seventh, to force extra innings. In the top of the 11th, Alex Davison would gun down the go-ahead run at the plate to end the inning and keep the score tied at four.

Freshman starter Andrew Lacinak was outstanding on the afternoon, going five innings, allowing just two hits, and striking out four. He received a no-decision on the afternoon. Senior left-hander Matt Malewitz came on in relief for the top of the 12th, going the last four innings, not allowing a run.

The Falcon pitchers worked out of many jams on the afternoon, to keep the game tied into the 15th inning. After the Falcons had had many chances in previous innings, Patrick Lancaster finally made Central Michigan pitcher Dietrich Enns pay. Enns, who was in his seventh inning of relief, was tabbed with the loss, falling to 1-1 on the season. Lancaster's single up-the-middle scored Logan Walker to give the Falcons the dramatic, walk-off, 5-4 victory.

Sunday's game tied a school-record for length of a game, matching the 15 inning affair between Toledo and Bowling Green on April 29, 1961. In that game, Bowling Green was defeated 4-0.

With the win, the Falcons take the series from Central Michigan, recovering after Friday's loss to take the last two games of the series.

The Falcons will be back in action on Wednesday when they welcome Defiance College to town for a midweek matinee. First pitch of that game will be at 3 pm. Following that game, the Falcons will be back on the road to continue MAC play at Akron, with single games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday next weekend.

Notes

*With his 3-for-7 day, Andrew Kubuski extends his hitting streak to 14 games. He is also leading the team with a .408 batting average.

*Sunday's game was the first extra inning contest that the Falcons have been a part of this season. They are now 1-0 in such games in 2012. The last extra inning game that Bowling Green played was a 3-2 loss in 12 innings at Buffalo last season.

*The Falcons played a flawless game defensively on Sunday, committing zero errors for just the second time all season.

*Matt Malewitz picked up his second win of the season. Jason Link, Patrick Martin, Trevor Blaylock, and Nick Bruns also saw action in relief of Andrew Lacinak on Sunday. The relievers went 10 innings, and did not allow a Chippewa to cross home over the final 8.1 innings of relief.