Falcons Hang On To Defeat Akron In Series Opener

Friday, April 18

Akron, OH

3:00 p.m.

Bowling Green State University

14-19, 6-7

University of Akron

20-15, 9-4

Bowling Green

AKRON

April 18, 2014 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Final Statistics: HTML

AKRON, Ohio—The Bowling Green State University baseball team got a much-needed win on Friday to begin the weekend, hanging on for a 9-7 victory over the Akron Zips. The game was played at Lee R. Jackson Field on the campus of the University of Akron. With the victory, the Falcons improve to 14-19 overall and 6-7 in Mid-American Conference play. Bowling Green has won eight of the last 11 games.

The Falcon offense struggled against Akron's John Valek the first time through the order, as the first eight batters were retired on Friday afternoon. The Zips took advantage a first-inning fielder obstruction call, which allowed a run to score as Akron jumped ahead 1-0.

Bowling Green would get their first base runner—a two-out single off the bat of Jesse Rait—with two outs in the top of the third. That single would crack Valek's code, as six of the next nine batters got hits for the Orange and Brown, stretching into the fourth inning.

BGSU would take the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs on five hits. Jake Thomas led off the fourth with a single through the right side. First baseman Jeremy Shay would follow, yanking a single through the left side of the infield. After a Valek balk, Thomas would score on a wild pitch to T.J. Losby, tying the game at one. On the next pitch, Losby would single down the left field line to score Shay and give the Falcons a 2-1 lead. The Falcons would get two more hits in the fourth after that, but a 6-4-3 double play would end the inning.

Falcon starting pitcher Mike Frank would settle in with the lead, getting the Falcons through six innings on Friday afternoon. He struck out five batters. Frank now has 201 career strikeouts (third-most in school history), becoming just the third player in Bowling Green baseball history with 200 or more strikeouts. His six innings give him 282.1 career innings, just 12.2 innings shy of Kip Young's all-time record at BGSU. Frank picked up the win, improving his overall record to 3-4, and Mid-American Conference record to 3-1.

In the top of the fifth, the Falcons would score three more runs to extend their lead to 5-1. Rait and Bien would begin the inning with singles, and Thomas's sacrifice bunt would move them into scoring position with just one out. After a walk to Shay, Losby would come to the dish with the bases loaded. The senior from Bryan, Ohio would deliver with a single to left field to score two, and Shay would come home all the way from first when the ball kicked by the left fielder.

Akron would get their leadoff guy on in the top of the sixth, but Frank would work around it to keep the Falcon lead at four. Frank ended the fifth with a strikeout—the 200th of his career.

Trey Keegan would get things started in the top of the sixth, doubling to left field. He would advance to third on Bien's infield single, and score on a single off the bat of Thomas to push the BGSU lead to 6-1.

The Zips would score four runs in the bottom of the seventh, and looked poised to tie the game with just one out and a runner on second. Akron would put center fielder Devin Ahart into motion, but a line out to Brandon Howard at third would turn into an inning-ending double play to stop the scoring threat.

The Falcons would tack on three huge insurance runs in the top of the ninth to lead 9-5 going into the bottom of the ninth.

Ethan McKenney—going for the three-inning save—would retire the first batter in the bottom of the ninth, before surrendering a single and walk. Danny Schmitz would go to the bullpen for Ben Singer with the tying run on deck.

After a fielder's choice to Howard at third got the Falcons their second out, Singer issued a walk to load the bases. UofA would single to score two runs and make it 9-7, but Singer would get a ground out to end the game and preserve the win. The save was the first of the season for Singer, and the third of his career.

Bowling Green and Akron will continue their series on Saturday, with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m. Brett Fitzwater will be on the mound for the Orange and Brown, opposing the Zips' JT Brubaker.