Falcons Season Comes To Close In MAC Tournament

Thursday, May 22

Avon, Ohio

9:30 a.m.

Bowling Green State University

25-27

Western Michigan University

23-30

Western Michigan

Bowling Green

May 22, 2014 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Final Statistics: HTML
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AVON, Ohio—The Bowling Green State University baseball team saw its season come to a close on Thursday morning, suffering a 7-4 defeat at the hands of the Western Michigan Broncos in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. With the loss, the Falcons finish the season with an overall record of 25-27.

Bowling Green shot itself in the foot in the early going, as the Falcons surrendered three runs in the first two innings. Helped by two defensive errors, Western Michigan was able to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first two frames.

In the top of the first, WMU's leadoff hitter would tap a slow roller towards short, but Brian Bien's throw was not in time to retire the speedy Kurt Hoekstra. After a sacrifice bunt, Western Michigan's Andrew Sohn would flare a double to right field just off the glove of a diving Jesse Rait. After a strikeout with runners on second and third recorded the second out of the inning, it appeared Andrew Lacinak would get out of it with a tapper back to the mound. However, the throw was wide to first allowing WMU to take an early 1-0 advantage.

The top of the second would lead to two more WMU runs, as an error, a walk, and two hit batters would extend the Bronco lead to 3-0.

Lacinak would settle in from there, pitching 7.1 innings and striking out a career-high six. He allowed just one earned run and scattered five hits. Despite the effort, it would not be enough, as WMU would score four runs in the ninth to saddle Lacinak with a no decision.

The Falcons did all of their damage in the home half of the fourth, as Patrick Lancaster led off the inning with a liner to right field which went for a two-base error. A Brandon Howard single through the right side of the infield would score Lancaster from second.

Andrew Kubuski would sacrifice Howard into scoring position, and he would advance to third on an errant pickoff throw into center field.

Howard would score on a single by Logan Walker, a hit that was knocked down up the middle by the WMU shortstop. The hit parade would continue, as Jesse Rait would execute a hit-and-run to perfection. On the play, however, the ball would get under the glove of Western Michigan's right fielder, allowing Walker to score all the way from first to tie the game. Rait was able to move around to third on the single and two-base error.

Western Michigan would turn to the bullpen for left-hander Keegan Akin. Brian Bien, the first batter that Akin would face, would lay down a safety squeeze to bring Rait in from third and give the Falcons the lead, 4-3.

With Devin Daugherty on the hill and two outs in the top of the eighth, it appeared as if WMU would tie the game with a single to left field. The runner, who started the play on second, would slide head first into home but the throw from Jake Thomas in left to T.J. Losby at home was just in time for the third out.

The BGSU bullpen was unable to finish the game in the top of the ninth, however, as two pitchers combined to allow three singles and two hit batters in the inning. Western Michigan took full advantage, scoring four runs to take a 7-4 lead.

WMU's Gabe Berman was able to close it out from there, retiring the Falcons in order in the bottom of the ninth to secure a victory for Western Michigan.