Linkkkkkkkkk Dominates First-Place CMU In 7-2 Win

Friday, April 24

Mount Pleasant, MI

3:05 p.m. ET

Bowling Green State University

15-21, 0

Central Michigan

27-14, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Bowling Green	1	0	0	0	4	1	0	0	1	7	10	2
Central Michigan	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	5	1

April 24, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

Falcons win series opener to improve to 8-8 in MAC play

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Final Statistics: HTML | PDF
Postgame Audio: Schmitz | Link

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—Jason Link struck out a career-high nine batters on Friday afternoon, as the Bowling Green State University baseball team defeated first-place Central Michigan 7-2 in the series opener on the road. The game was played at Theunissen Stadium. With the win, the Falcons are now 15-21 overall and 8-8 in the Mid-American Conference. CMU drops to 27-14 on the season and 12-4 in MAC play with the setback.

"Jason Link was dynamite today and gave us just what we needed," head coach Danny Schmitz started. "We talk about all three phases and I thought we did that today. When we had to play little ball, we played little ball. We made some nice plays defensively as well. But, we know we have to come back tomorrow because they are going to be ready for us."

Link was dominant for much of the afternoon, not allowing a hit until the sixth inning. After 5.1 innings of no-hit ball, Link allowed two of his three hits to back-to-back hitters. Link threw a career-high 7.0 innings in the win, improving his record to 3-3 on the season. He surrendered just one run, which was unearned, while throwing a career-high 110 pitches.

"I felt good today with all of my pitches," senior pitcher Jason Link started. "I was just trying to pound the zone with all my pitches and put them away when I could."

Kory Brown got things rolling early for the Falcons, as he led the game off with a solo home run down the left field line on the second pitch he saw from CMU starter Nick Deeg. Brown was on base in each of his first four plate appearances in the game, walking twice and doubling later in the game.

Link was dominant the first time through the batting order, as he struck out six batters and allowed just one walk in the first three innings. His previous career-high of five strikeouts had been matched after two dominant innings, and the walk was erased on a pickoff by Trey Keegan—his fourth of the season.

Despite putting some good swings on Deeg, the Falcons led just 1-0 after four innings. But, that all changed in the top of the fifth as Brown doubled with one out in the inning. Brandon Howard then drew a walk, his first of two in the game, to put two Falcons on with nobody out.

Keegan then chopped a grounder towards third, but the throw to second in attempt to start a double play was high, sailing into right field and allowing Brown to score from second. Howard advanced to third on the play, putting runners at the corners with nobody out.

Matt Smith then came up, laying down a perfect squeeze bunt to bring Howard across and push Keegan into scoring position. Despite getting thrown out at first, Smith was credited with an RBI and the Falcons led 3-0. Two consecutive walks—to Greg Basalyga and Jesse Rait—loaded the bases again for first baseman Randy Righter.

Righter nearly blew the game wide open, as he jumped on the first pitch he saw from Deeg and blasted it down the left field line. But, the ball hooked just foul, narrowly missing a grand slam. However, Righter still got the best of Deeg, singling into left field to put the Orange and Brown ahead 4-0. Hunter Clanin walked for a 5-0 lead, before the Chippewas turned to the bullpen to get out of the inning.

The top four in the Falcons' order once again produced in the sixth, as Brown and Howard began the inning with walks. After a Keegan sacrifice bunt pushed both runners into scoring position, Smith lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to give BGSU a 6-0 lead.

CMU ended Link's no-hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning with back-to-back singles and scored an unearned run with a ground out in the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh the Chippewas got two more base runners with two outs, but after a mound visit Link induced a fly out to Smith in left field to get out of the jam.

Kody Brown and Tony Landi each pitched an inning of relief in the game, with the only blemish coming in the form of an unearned run. The Falcons added to their lead, increasing the advantage to 7-2, with a run in the top of the ninth.

With one out Smith, Basalyga, and Rait singled to give the Falcons the insurance they needed to close out the victory against the first-place Chippewas.

Bowling Green and Central Michigan will continue their series on Saturday afternoon, with first pitch from Theunissen Stadium slated for 2:00 p.m. Andrew Lacinak (BGSU) is expected to oppose Sean Renzi (CMU) on the mound as the Falcons go for the series victory.