Falcons Lose Late Lead In 6-4 Setback To Akron

Saturday, May 2

Bowling Green, Ohio

1:05 pm ET

Bowling Green State University

18-24, 10-10

Akron

22-23, 10-10-

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

May 02, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio—The Bowling Green State University baseball team took a 4-3 lead into the eighth inning Saturday, but a three-run inning by Akron proved to be too much to overcome in a 6-4 loss. The game was played at Warren E. Steller Field. With the win, Akron improves to 22-23 overall and 10-10 in Mid-American Conference play. The Falcons drop to 18-24 on the season and 10-10 in the MAC with the loss.

"Today was obviously a disappointing loss, but we gave ourselves a chance to win the game with the way we played," head coach Danny Schmitz said. "Our goal coming into each weekend is to win the series, and we still have the opportunity to do that come tomorrow so we must put all our focus on achieving that goal."

For the Falcons, it was the 11th time in the last 12 MAC games in which they have held the lead going into the eighth inning, a stretch which has seen them go 8-4 to climb back into the thick of the MAC Tournament race.

For the second straight day Matt Smith led the Falcons with three hits, tying his career high for the second time this weekend. He was 3-for-4 in the game with two runs scored and an RBI. Brandon Howard and Jesse Rait also joined Smith with multiple hits in the game.

Howard, on top of his two hits, also stole two bases in the game. He now stands in a tie for fourth all-time with 26 stolen bases this season. He is just six shy of tying the all-time record. His two stolen bases also give him 58 for his career, surpassing Falcon legend Jon Berti and moving into third all by himself in the career annals.

Bowling Green scored first in Saturday's game, the 28th time in 42 games they have done so in 2015. For the Falcons, however, they dropped to just 15-13 on the season when scoring first in a game with Saturday's loss.

Smith scored in the bottom of the second on an RBI single with two outs by Rait. Smith, who had singled up the middle to begin the second, advanced to second on a groundout later in the inning to get into scoring position.

The lead didn't last long, however, as two Akron doubles in the top of the third inning pulled the Zips even with the Falcons.

But, BGSU retook the lead, 2-1, in the bottom of the fourth inning with Smith once again scoring on an RBI single, this time off the bat of Randy Righter.

In the top of the sixth, Akron grabbed their first lead of the series with two runs off Andrew Lacinak, who was tagged with the loss after pitching 7.1 innings and striking out four on Saturday. The Zips got a leadoff single in the inning—a lined shot off Lacinak's leg. After a strikeout and caught stealing, it appeared that Lacinak was poised to get out of the inning, but the Zips found some two out magic. After a two-out walk, two straight singles gave Akron a 3-2 lead.

Once again, the Falcons answered, tying the game at three runs apiece in the home half of the sixth. Howard started things off with an infield single and then stole both second and third base. On Smith's third hit of the day—an infield chop to third—Howard came home to pull the Falcons even.

BGSU took the lead in the bottom of the seventh, as Kory Brown got into the hit column with a two-out single to center. After stealing second, Howard ripped a triple into the right field corner to score Brown from second and give the Falcons a 4-3 lead.

That lead looked safe, as BGSU entered the day with a record of 17-2 on the season when leading after seven. After an out was recorded in the eighth inning, a double sprayed down the line in right field and past Righter at first base gave Akron a base runner. He then came home to score on a single to right field, while the batter-runner advanced to second on the throw to the plate.

Bowling Green turned to freshman Kody Brown out of the pen, who got Akron's best hitter—Joey Havrilak—to fly out to center for the second out of the inning. Havrilak would be the only batter Brown faced, as the Falcons went back to the pen for right-hander Devin Daugherty.

With the game tied at four runs apiece, Akron took advantage of some shaky Falcon defense later in the frame to score two more runs and take the lead for good. A two-run single to center field brought home the go-ahead run, but a throw to the plate got behind the entire defense and to the backstop allowing the Zips' runner to scamper all the way to third. The next batter then struck out, but a passed ball allowed another runner to score before the Falcons could get out of the inning.

Leading 6-4, Akron turned to closer Matt LaRocca, who had started the game at first base. LaRocca did allow a leadoff single in the ninth to Rait, but finished off a two-inning save for his ninth of the season.

Bowling Green and Akron will look to decide the series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch at Steller Field is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.