Orange And Brown World Series: Brown Takes Title By Winning Game 5 & Tiebreaker

Photo Gallery
Brown Celebrates World-Series Win
Smith, Matt Interview

Matt Smith Interview

Brown Celebrates World-Series Win

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team's Orange and Brown World Series concluded Friday afternoon, as team Brown claimed the series in dramatic fashion at Warren E. Steller Field. Team Brown won Game 5 by a score of 3-1 and then immediately after the conclusion of the game, won a coaches-decided tiebreaker.

After losing the first two games of the series, Brown won Game 3 and then earned a tie in Game 4. Heading into today's Game 5, Orange could wrap up the series with a victory. When Brown won, however, both teams had earned two wins and a tie. The coaches decided to play a longest-ball competition to determine the winner.

Each team had two players that would get five swings each. The longest hit ball would determine the series champion. Matt Smith and Randy Righter – the two contestants for Brown – each hit a home run, while Orange's Greg Basalyga and Hunter Clanin failed to knock one out.

"This Brown and Orange World Series has probably been the most competitive one since I've been here," said Smith. "I really hope it translates into the spring time when we start playing. I'm really looking forward to seeing what we built here during the fall."

Andrew Lacinak started for Brown, logging 4.2 scoreless innings to help force the tiebreaker. He was staked to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third, and team Brown would never look back.

Nate Rau scored one of his two runs on the day, when volunteer assistant coach Jeremy Shay – who was playing third base for the second straight game – pulled a double down the left-field line. Righter later brought him home with a two-out single that dropped into short right field.

Brown later tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, as Rau once again kick-started a rally. Rau was running hard out of the box on a ball four that sailed into the backstop He made the turn at first, and slid safely into second on a close play. Blake Jenkins immediately knocked him in with a sharply-hit single into right field.

Mat Szabo relieved Lacinak in the top of the fifth, and set down the first batter he faced to retire the side. Szabo then struck out Cody Callaway and Cam Daugherty to open the sixth, before Tony Landi entered to notch the save.

Orange made it interesting, scoring a run off an error, but Landi induced a fly-ball out with runners at the corners to secure the victory for Brown.

Fans can view a photo gallery from today's game by clicking the above link. Recaps (with photos) from the previous four games can be found by clicking on the links below. A video of team Brown's celebration, as well as an interview with Matt Smith, can be found above.

Orange and Brown World Series Schedule
Game 1: Orange 11, Brown 1
Game 2: Orange 3, Brown 2
Game 3: Brown 6, Orange 5
Game 4: Brown 8, Orange 8
Game 5: Brown 3, Orange 1 *

* Brown wins series on longest-ball tiebreaker

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