Falcons Down Kent State Saturday

Saturday, April 14

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

14-20, 4-7

Kent State University

19-15, 9-2

Kent State

Bowling Green

April 14, 2012 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Box Score

The Bowling Green State University baseball team downed Kent State on Saturday afternoon, by a score of 9-6. The game, which was played with high intensity throughout, featured eight defensive errors, split four to each team. The Falcons took advantage of some Kent State mistakes to score seven runs in their final two at-bats. Jason Link was the winning pitcher on the afternoon, while Patrick Martin picked up the save.

Ethan McKenney got the start for the Falcons on Saturday, while his counterpart, Ryan Bores started on the mound for the Golden Flashes. Neither pitcher was lights-out on the afternoon, but they both kept the opposition under control throughout.

Kent State would jump on the scoreboard first, as they scored one run in the first inning and one run in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead after just 1.5 innings of play.

The Falcons would respond in the bottom of the second, thanks in part to Kent State's defensive struggles. The Falcons would score two runs in the home half of the second inning, on just one hit, but three Kent State errors to tie the game.

The Flashes would tack on another unearned run in the top of the fourth inning, taking a 3-2 lead. That lead would hold up until the bottom of the seventh inning.

Ethan McKenney went 5.2 innings on the day, allowing just one earned run.

In the bottom of the seventh, Brian Bien would reach first base on a dropped third strike, putting a runner at first with one out. The next batter, Jake Thomas, would execute a perfect hit-and-run, advancing Bien all the way to third on the single. Logan Walker would fly out to shallow left field in the next at-bat, but the Falcons would test Kent State left fielder Alex Miklos. Miklos would fail the test, as his throw came up well short of the cut-off man, and Bien scampered home to tie the game at three.

The intensity was turned up from there, as Kent State appealed that Bien had left third early, but to no avail. After Kubuski was hit by a pitch, and Drew Kuns walked, Patrick Lancaster would single up the middle to score two runs and give the Falcons a 5-3 lead heading to the eighth.

The Falcons would help Kent State out in the top of the eighth, as Miklos would reach on a two-base error to begin the inning. After a single to score Miklos, Evan Campbell banged a two-run home run to right centerfield to put the Flashes back on top.

Jason Link would work his way out of the inning, keeping the score at 6-5. Kent State would bring Michael Clark on in relief of Ryan Bores in the bottom of the eighth, and he looked sharp, striking out the first two Falcons of the inning.

However, Clark would lose control of the next three batters, walking two and hitting another, to load the bases for Andrew Kubuski.

Kubuski would hit a dribbler up the third base line that Clark would field and airmail all the way down the right field line, scoring all three Falcons, and giving the Falcons an 8-6 lead. His command issues would continue to the next batter, as Kubuski would score on a wild pitch.

With a 9-6 lead, Patrick Martin would come on for a save situation. After a groundout to Brian Bien to begin the inning, Martin would fan the next two Flashes, and the Falcons would celebrate a victory over Kent State for the second straight day.

With the win, the Falcons improve to 14-20 overall, and 4-7 in MAC play. Kent State falls to 19-15 on the year, and 9-2 in the MAC. The two teams will conclude their series tomorrow afternoon from Steller Field, with first pitch scheduled for 1 pm.