Falcons Conclude Best Spring-Break Trip Since 2005 With Loss To Presbyterian

Sunday, March 13

Emerson, GA

12:00 PM EST

Bowling Green State University

Presbyterian

Falcons Conclude Best Spring-Break Trip Since 2005 With Loss To Presbyterian

March 13, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by James Nahikian, BGSU Athletic Communications

Final Statistics: HTML | PDF

EMERSON, Ga. – The Bowling Green State University baseball team ended its annual spring-break trip with a 6-5 loss at the hands of the Presbyterian College Blue Hose. The Orange and Brown went 6-3 on the trip, running its record to 7-8 on the season. The Falcons' 6-3 record marks their best spring-break trip since the 2005 team went 6-1.

The Falcons went 3-3 in the Perfect Game Tournament, after going a perfect 3-0 at the Elon Tournament last weekend. On the spring-break trip, the Falcons earned wins over Elon, Appalachian State, Stony Brook, Alabama State, Presbyterian and Savannah State.

"We aren't happy about dropping the final two games of the trip," said head coach Danny Schmitz. "After our great start to the trip, we had a chance to head home with a winning record, but we just didn't get it done. We will turn our attention to our home opener on Tuesday against Central Michigan."

Bowling Green had a chance to tie the ballgame, or possibly pull ahead in the eighth, when they scored three runs to draw within a single run at 6-5, but Randy Righter flew out with the bases loaded. The Falcons also had the tying run on third in the ninth.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Kory Brown singled to second base, and an error allowed another run to score. Later in the frame, Addison Rospert – who came on as a pinch runner in the frame – scored on a wild pitch. Smith then walked to load the bases, but Righter flew out on the first pitch of the at-bat.

Presbyterian was able to get to Falcon starter Zach Kendall early, as the righty was on four days of rest, having pitched in Tuesday's win over Alabama State. The Blue Hose scored at least one run across the first four frames, plating two in the first, and one apiece in the second, third and fourth.

The Falcons did limit the damage, however. Kendall struck out back-to-back batters in the second with two runners in scoring position, keeping BGSU's deficit at 3-0. Kendall was knocked out of the game in the third when he loaded the bases with only one down, but Kody Brown entered and limited the damage for Bowling Green yet again.

Brown induced a sacrifice fly the first batter he faced, which pushed Presbyterian's lead up to 4-0, but after a walk, Brown left the bases loaded by inducing a weak ground out to third base.

Presbyterian hit a home run in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead, but Bowling Green charged back into the ballgame by plating two in the bottom of the frame. After Derek Drewes doubled with two outs to plate R.J. Williams, who singled to leadoff the inning, to put the Falcons on the board, it appeared that the inning was over.

Nick Glanzman grounded to third, and was called out at first. Bowling Green immediately protested the call, as Danny Schmitz pleaded with the field umpire to check with the home plate umpire. The Falcons had thought the first basemen's foot was off the bag, but everyone had already run off the field for both teams. The umpires finally convened, and the call was changed. Smith scored on the play, drawing the Falcons within three runs at 5-2.

Brown was able to keep the Falcons in the ballgame, tossing scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth to keep Bowling Green's deficit at three runs. In total, Brown went 3.2 innings, and allowed just one run on four hits. He struck out three, and walked one.

Tony Landi then came on to pitch, and after a perfect seventh, Presbyterian got a huge insurance run in the eighth off Landi, inching its lead up to 6-2. Landi tossed a scoreless ninth, but Bowling Green fell short in the bottom half.

The Falcons were out-hit, 13-7, in the contest. Derek Drewes went 2-for-5, and recorded at least one hit in all four of his starts at the Perfect Game Tournament. Smith also got a hit in four games at the tournament, finishing the game 1-for-3 with a run scored. BGSU's other hits were registered by Minorik, Williams, Kory Brown and Justin Mott.

Bowling Green will play at Warren. E Steller Field for the first time this season on Tuesday, March 15, against Central Michigan University. The game is not a Mid-American Conference matchup, however. The Falcons will then play another MAC school in another non-conference matchup over the weekend, as Bowling Green will play back-to-back doubleheaders on Friday (March 18) and Saturday (March 19) with Western Michigan University. Friday's doubleheader will be played at WMU, while Saturday's games will be played at Steller Field.