Falcons Feast On Bobcats To Take Weekend Series

Sunday, April 12

Athens, OH

1:00 p.m. ET

Bowling Green State University

11-19, 5-7

Ohio

19-14, 6-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Bowling Green	1	3	0	0	0	3	3	0	1	11	12	1
Ohio	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	4	4

April 12, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Final Statistics: HTML | PDF

ATHENS, Ohio—The Bowling Green State University baseball team bounced back from Saturday's heartbreaking loss in a big way, defeating the Ohio Bobcats 11-1 on the road Sunday afternoon to win their second straight Mid-American Conference series. The Falcons, who have won 5-of-7 in conference play, improved to 11-19 overall and 5-7 in MAC play with the win. Ohio dropped to 19-14, 6-6 in the MAC with the defeat.

"The boys showed a lot of heart in today's 11-1 win on the road," head coach Danny Schmitz said. "For the second straight weekend we came out and were able to put together a complete performance on Sunday to win a series. The games get bigger from here, but I'm proud of how the team has responded these last few weeks after a tough start to MAC play."

The Falcons got big performances from all over the field, but perhaps none bigger than true freshman Zac Carey. The right-handed pitcher tossed a career-high eight innings to pick up his second victory of the season. He allowed just one run, which came in the bottom of the ninth after he had left the game. He struck out three Bobcat hitters and induced three inning-ending double plays in the game.

Several Falcon batters had big performances as well, as both Jesse Rait and Randy Righter homered in the ballgame. For Rait, it was his second in as many Sundays and just the second of his career. For Righter, it was his team-leading fourth of the spring and first since Feb. 27 against Eastern Kentucky.

Catcher Trey Keegan set a new career-high with four runs batted in in the victory on Sunday, while Brandon Howard tied the school record with four stolen bases in the game. Howard's four steals also set a personal career high, and marked the first time in school history that a Falcon has swiped four bags in a game against a Division I opponent. Howard now has 21 steals on the season to lead the MAC.

The Falcons scored in five of the nine innings on Sunday, including putting up three runs in three separate innings. BGSU had 10 hits in the game to Ohio's four, and took advantage of four Bobcat errors, as well.

The Falcons scored in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead on Sunday. It was the 14th time in 2015 that the Falcons have scored in the first inning of a game, and also marked the 18th time that BGSU has scored first in a game this season.

Howard walked in the first inning with one out and would steal both second and third before a walk to Matt Smith. After Smith stole second, Howard scampered home on a wild pitch to give the Falcons a first-inning lead.

BGSU was right back at it in the top of the second, as Rait led things off with a home run to left field for a 2-0 lead. Designated hitter Derek Drewes continued the inning with a one-out single, his seventh hit in five starts during MAC play. Drewes is now hitting .280 with five runs scored in five MAC starts at DH this season, all Falcon wins.

Brian Bien followed the Drewes single with an infield single of his own, and then the Falcons loaded the bases as Kory Brown reached on an error. A Howard walk—one of four on the day—scored a run to make it 3-0 in just the top of the second. The Falcons pushed the lead to 4-0 in the inning as Trey Keegan lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Bien.

The Falcons were held scoreless over the next three innings, but Carey continued his dominance of the Bobcats' lineup throughout the middle innings. In the top of the sixth, the Falcons tacked on three more runs, batting around to take a 7-0 lead. Righter began the inning with his fourth home run of the season. Drewes then reached on an error, was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Bien, and moved to third on a double by Brown. Howard singled home Drewes to make it 6-0, and then a wild pitch later in the inning scored Brown to make it a 7-0 game in favor of the visitors.

Drewes once again got things started in the top of the seventh inning, drawing a one-out walk to give the Falcons a baserunner. He then advanced all the way to third on a single and error off the bat of Brown. Another wild pitch scored Drewes with two outs to make it 8-0. After another Howard walk and stolen base, Keegan singled home two to give the Falcons a commanding 10-0 lead after seven innings.

The Orange and Brown added a run in the top of the ninth, as Bien scored on a Keegan single to make it 11-0. After surrendering two singles to begin the bottom of the ninth, Carey was replaced by Tony Landi who retired three straight Bobcats to close out the 11-1 victory.

The Falcons now return home for four games this week at Warren E. Steller Field. On Tuesday, BGSU hosts Eastern Michigan at 3:00 p.m. before hosting Western Michigan in a three-game MAC series next week. The Falcons and Broncos will enter the fifth week of conference play tied for the seventh-seed at 5-7. The series will begin on Friday at 3:00 p.m.