Falcons Run Past Oilers As Fitzwater Tosses A Gem

Tuesday, March 31

Bowling Green, Ohio

3:05 pm ET

Bowling Green State University

7-16

Findlay

6-18

Findlay

Bowling Green

March 31, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

Junior lefty tosses career-high 7.0 IP and ties career-high with 7 K in 10-0 victory

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Final Statistics: HTML | PDF
Photo Gallery (Paul Duncan, BGSU Athletic Communications)

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio—The Bowling Green State University baseball team got contributions from all over the field on Tuesday afternoon, defeating University of Findlay 10-0 at Warren E. Steller Field. The non-conference game marked the second consecutive victory for the Falcons and improved their overall record to 7-16. The Oilers dropped to 6-18 on the season with the loss.

The Falcons got six combined hits from the top two batters in their lineup, as both Kory Brown and Brandon Howard had three hits in the game. For Brown, who went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, his three hits were a career high. Howard was a perfect 3-for-3 on the day with three runs scored and two RBI, all of which tied season bests. The duo also combined for three of the Falcons' five stolen bases in the game. BGSU is now 7-0 this season when stealing multiple bases in a game.

"I thought the big key was the first inning right away there," head coach Danny Schmitz started. "Kory Brown and Brandon Howard got things started for us and then we took advantage of a couple Findlay mistakes which was huge."

For the second straight game the Falcons got an outstanding pitching performance, as junior Brett Fitzwater tossed a career-high 7.0 innings to improve his record to 2-0 on the season. The left-hander tied his career high with seven strikeouts, and allowed just one hit which came with two outs in the top of the seventh to break up a no-hitter.

"Obviously, Brett Fitzwater was outstanding as well," Schmitz continued. "Originally I wasn't planning on throwing him that long, but he had that no-hitter going and there was no way I was taking him out. I didn't even ask (pitching) Coach Blanc how many pitches he had, he was going to stay in there and he did a great job."

The Falcons exploded for four runs in the bottom of the first inning off Findlay starter Cory Carl. Brown, who hit in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, started things off with a single to right field. He took advantage of Findlay's first error in the inning then, advancing to second on the play thanks to a misplay in right field. Howard then stepped up and delivered a single, scoring Brown to give the home team an early 1-0 lead after just two hitters.

Trey Keegan continued the hit parade with a single through the left side of the infield to put runners at first and second with nobody out. With Matt Smith at the plate, both Howard and Keegan were put in motion. A high throw which traveled down the left field line allowed both to move up after the double steal and gave the Orange and Brown a 2-0 lead. Smith then grounded out to short, but it was enough to score Keegan from third and give Smith an RBI.

Greg Basalyga put the Falcons ahead 4-0 after just five batters with his solo home run to left field, a line drive into the wind. For Basalyga, it was his first home run of the season and the third of his career.

The next four runs charged to Carl were all unearned, as Bowling Green took advantage of four Oiler errors in the game to take an 8-0 after four innings.

In the bottom of the second, Nick Glanzman reached on a fielding error by the Findlay shortstop with one out in the inning. Then, the Falcons perfectly executed a hit-and-run as Brown rolled one through the right side allowing Glanzman to race all the way to third on the play. That execution paid off, as a Howard sacrifice fly scored Glanzman to put BGSU ahead 4-0 after two innings.

Tyler Greiner started the bottom of the fourth with a single to right-centerfield, his first of two hits in the game. Although a fielder's choice and caught stealing gave Findlay two outs in the inning with nobody on, the Falcons were not finished. Brown singled up the middle and then advanced all the way to third on Howard's bunt single. After a Howard stolen base, – his second of the day and 13th of the season – Keegan walked to load the bases. An infield error allowed two runs to score with two outs, and then a Basalyga RBI single put the Falcons comfortably ahead 8-0 after the fourth.

The Orange and Brown added their final two runs of the game in the sixth, as Basalyga and Randy Righter recorded RBIs in the inning to score Howard (single) and Keegan (walk).

Although Findlay managed to break up Fitzwater's no-hitter with two outs in the seventh, the left-hander struck out five batters over his final two innings of work. Both Trevor Farrell and Tyler Anderson also worked a scoreless inning in relief of Fitzwater.

The Falcons will continue their home stand this weekend, as they look to carry momentum into the three-game Mid-American Conference series against the Miami RedHawks. BGSU, who has won two straight, currently sits at 7-16 overall and 1-5 in MAC play heading into this weekend. The series is scheduled to begin on Friday at 3:05 p.m. and continue on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. The weekend series will conclude on Sunday, with first pitch slated for 1:05 p.m.