Bowling Green State University Athletics
Friday, April 17
Bowling Green, Ohio
3:05 pm ET
Bowling Green State University
13-19, 6-7
12
vs
2
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Western Michigan
13-20, 5-8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Bowling Green | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | X | 12 | 16 | 2 |
Falcons Rout Broncos In Series Opener, 12-2
April 17, 2015 | Baseball
Final Statistics: HTML | PDF
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio—The Bowling Green State University baseball team made a statement on Friday afternoon at Warren E. Steller Field, opening the weekend series with a convincing 12-2 win over Western Michigan. The Falcons pounded out 16 hits in the game, improving their record to 13-19 on the season with the win. BGSU is now 6-7 in Mid-American Conference play. The Broncos dropped to 13-20 overall and 5-8 in MAC play.
"I was happy with the way we came out this afternoon and played well in all three phases," head coach Danny Schmitz said. "Jason Link and Tony Landi did an excellent job on the mound, and we seemed to get contributions from everybody in the lineup. I was pleased with our effort all game long."
Jason Link started on the mound Friday, tossing a career-high six innings to earn his second straight victory. He struck out three batters while scattering six hits. He was relieved by Tony Landi, who pitched the final three innings to earn the save.
Six Falcons in the starting lineup recorded at least two hits in the game, led by both Jesse Rait and Trey Keegan's three-hit days. Three Falcons scored at least two runs in the game, while four more Falcons had no fewer than two RBIs.
Bowling Green also took advantage of some shaky defense by Western Michigan, capitalizing on six Bronco errors in the game. The Falcons committed just two themselves.
The Falcons were held scoreless in the first inning, as WMU starting pitcher Derek Schneider surrendered the first of nine hits he allowed in the inning. Schneider lasted just 4.1 innings, allowing nine runs and striking out just one.
In the bottom of the second, the Falcons got on the scoreboard to take an early lead. Matt Smith led off the inning with a push bunt towards first, easily beating the first baseman to the bag for an infield single. WMU's first error of the day followed, putting two Falcons on base with nobody out. Following a failed sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning, senior Jesse Rait singled to load the bases.
Hunter Clanin then stepped up and chopped one towards third base, which allowed WMU third baseman Grant Miller to step on the bag for the second out. On the play, Miller also threw towards home attempting to cut off the run, but his throw hit Smith in the back and allowed him to score the Falcons first run of the game.
Brian Bien, the very next batter following the error, tripled into the left field corner – his first of two extra-base hits on the day – to score two more Falcons and give them a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
The three-run second was just the beginning for the Falcons' offense Friday afternoon, as the Orange and Brown scored in five consecutive innings to blow the game open. BGSU scored one run in both the third and fourth innings to take a 5-0 lead into the fifth.
In the bottom of the third, Brandon Howard scored on a sacrifice fly by Smith, while Rait scored in the fourth on a squeeze bunt by Kory Brown.
Bowling Green broke it open in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring four runs to make it 9-0. The inning began with an error, as Howard chopped one back to the mound but Schneider's underhand flip was high and Howard beat it out. After a Keegan single, Smith sacrificed both runners into scoring position with one away.
With runners on second and third, Schneider then balked on a pickoff attempt to third, allowing Howard to score and giving BGSU a 6-0 lead at the time. A Basalyga walk put runners on the corners, and Randy Righter's double in the very next at-bat made it 7-0 with two runners on base. Both runners came home on a single by Rait, making it 9-0 and forcing the Broncos to go to the bullpen.
WMU got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning, as the Broncos scored two runs to cut into the deficit and make it 9-2. But, the Bowling Green offense was able to bounce right back, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.
In that bottom of the sixth inning, Bien led things off with a double into left-centerfield. He then scored on a single up the middle by Brown. Brown advanced to second on a stolen base and moved to third on a Bronco error. He would score later in the inning as Howard singled him home to make it 11-2. With one out in the inning, Keegan tripled to right-centerfield and then scored on a single by Smith.
Landi came into the game in the top of the seventh, shutting down the Broncos offense in his three innings of work. For Landi, who earned a three-inning save, it was the third of the season.
Bowling Green and Western Michigan will play a doubleheader on Saturday to wrap up their weekend series, as rain is expected in the Bowling Green area for Sunday afternoon. First pitch of tomorrow's doubleheader will be at 12:05 p.m.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio—The Bowling Green State University baseball team made a statement on Friday afternoon at Warren E. Steller Field, opening the weekend series with a convincing 12-2 win over Western Michigan. The Falcons pounded out 16 hits in the game, improving their record to 13-19 on the season with the win. BGSU is now 6-7 in Mid-American Conference play. The Broncos dropped to 13-20 overall and 5-8 in MAC play.
"I was happy with the way we came out this afternoon and played well in all three phases," head coach Danny Schmitz said. "Jason Link and Tony Landi did an excellent job on the mound, and we seemed to get contributions from everybody in the lineup. I was pleased with our effort all game long."
Jason Link started on the mound Friday, tossing a career-high six innings to earn his second straight victory. He struck out three batters while scattering six hits. He was relieved by Tony Landi, who pitched the final three innings to earn the save.
Six Falcons in the starting lineup recorded at least two hits in the game, led by both Jesse Rait and Trey Keegan's three-hit days. Three Falcons scored at least two runs in the game, while four more Falcons had no fewer than two RBIs.
Bowling Green also took advantage of some shaky defense by Western Michigan, capitalizing on six Bronco errors in the game. The Falcons committed just two themselves.
The Falcons were held scoreless in the first inning, as WMU starting pitcher Derek Schneider surrendered the first of nine hits he allowed in the inning. Schneider lasted just 4.1 innings, allowing nine runs and striking out just one.
In the bottom of the second, the Falcons got on the scoreboard to take an early lead. Matt Smith led off the inning with a push bunt towards first, easily beating the first baseman to the bag for an infield single. WMU's first error of the day followed, putting two Falcons on base with nobody out. Following a failed sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning, senior Jesse Rait singled to load the bases.
Hunter Clanin then stepped up and chopped one towards third base, which allowed WMU third baseman Grant Miller to step on the bag for the second out. On the play, Miller also threw towards home attempting to cut off the run, but his throw hit Smith in the back and allowed him to score the Falcons first run of the game.
Brian Bien, the very next batter following the error, tripled into the left field corner – his first of two extra-base hits on the day – to score two more Falcons and give them a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
The three-run second was just the beginning for the Falcons' offense Friday afternoon, as the Orange and Brown scored in five consecutive innings to blow the game open. BGSU scored one run in both the third and fourth innings to take a 5-0 lead into the fifth.
In the bottom of the third, Brandon Howard scored on a sacrifice fly by Smith, while Rait scored in the fourth on a squeeze bunt by Kory Brown.
Bowling Green broke it open in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring four runs to make it 9-0. The inning began with an error, as Howard chopped one back to the mound but Schneider's underhand flip was high and Howard beat it out. After a Keegan single, Smith sacrificed both runners into scoring position with one away.
With runners on second and third, Schneider then balked on a pickoff attempt to third, allowing Howard to score and giving BGSU a 6-0 lead at the time. A Basalyga walk put runners on the corners, and Randy Righter's double in the very next at-bat made it 7-0 with two runners on base. Both runners came home on a single by Rait, making it 9-0 and forcing the Broncos to go to the bullpen.
WMU got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning, as the Broncos scored two runs to cut into the deficit and make it 9-2. But, the Bowling Green offense was able to bounce right back, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.
In that bottom of the sixth inning, Bien led things off with a double into left-centerfield. He then scored on a single up the middle by Brown. Brown advanced to second on a stolen base and moved to third on a Bronco error. He would score later in the inning as Howard singled him home to make it 11-2. With one out in the inning, Keegan tripled to right-centerfield and then scored on a single by Smith.
Landi came into the game in the top of the seventh, shutting down the Broncos offense in his three innings of work. For Landi, who earned a three-inning save, it was the third of the season.
Bowling Green and Western Michigan will play a doubleheader on Saturday to wrap up their weekend series, as rain is expected in the Bowling Green area for Sunday afternoon. First pitch of tomorrow's doubleheader will be at 12:05 p.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Link, Jason (2-3)
L: SCHNEIDER, Derek (2-3)
S: Landi, Tony (3)
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Batting:
2B: HO, Mitchell 1
3B: KUJAWA, Jared 1
RBI: KUJAWA, Jared 1 ; PRINCE, Hunter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: HOEKSTRA, Kurt 1 ; KUJAWA, Jared 1
HBP: HOEKSTRA, Kurt 1 ; SUNDE, Brett 1
Batting:
2B: Righter, Randy 1 ; Bien, Brian 1
3B: Keegan, Trey 1 ; Bien, Brian 1
RBI: Brown, Kory 2 ; Howard, Brandon 1 ; Smith, Matt 2 ; Righter, Randy 1 ; Rait, Jesse 2 ; Bien, Brian 2
SH: Brown, Kory 1 ; Smith, Matt 1 ; Clanin, Hunter 1
SF: Smith, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brown, Kory 1 ; Howard, Brandon 2 ; Keegan, Trey 2 ; Smith, Matt 1 ; Basalyga, Greg 1 ; Righter, Randy 1 ; Rait, Jesse 2 ; Clanin, Hunter 1 ; Bien, Brian 1
SB: Brown, Kory 1 ; Howard, Brandon 1
CS: Howard, Brandon 1
PO: Howard, Brandon 1 ; Bien, Brian 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF
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C/OF
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RHP
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RHP
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INF
/ Baseball
OF
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