Bowling Green Beats MAC-Leading Ball State On The Road To Open Weekend Series

Friday, April 22

Muncie, IN

3:00 PM EST

Bowling Green State University

15-23, 5-8

Ball State

23-16, 9-4

Bowling Green

Ball State

Bowling Green Beats MAC-Leading Ball State On The Road To Open Weekend Series

April 22, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by James Nahikian, BGSU Athletic Communications

Final Statistics: HTML | PDF

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Bowling Green State University baseball team defeated MAC-leading Ball State University, 5-1, Friday (April 22) afternoon at Ball Diamond to begin the weekend series. The Falcons held Ball State – a team that averages nearly seven runs and over 10 hits per game – to just one run on four hits.

"This is a huge win for us," said head coach Danny Schmitz. "I can't say enough about how our pitchers performed today. This is the most potent offensive team in the league, and to hold them to just four hits was fantastic. But we know that they will come out with a lot of energy tomorrow, and we will have to match it. We've put ourselves in a good situation, though, and I'm proud of our team. We certainly executed in the three phases today."

The ballgame may very well have been decided in the eighth. Trailing by a score of 3-1, Ball State put runners on first and second with only one out. Caleb Stayton – the MAC's top hitter – stepped to the plate. Stayton entered play with a .398 batting average and 54 RBI. His RBI total ranks third best in the nation.

The Falcons turned to southpaw Kody Brown in order to get the lefty-on-lefty matchup. Stayton worked a full count, but Brown induced a fly out for the second out of the inning. That would be the only batter Brown would face, as BGSU then turned to Tony Landi, who induced a weak ground out to get out of the jam.

Riley Minorik hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth, and Landi went on to post a zero in the bottom half to secure the victory. The home run for Minorik was his team-leading fourth on the season.

The Falcons nearly took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Minorik led off the contest with a walk, and moved over to second on a Kory Brown sacrifice bunt. Matt Smith then shot a single into right field, but Minorik was gunned down at the plate. Ball State broke the scoreless tie in the bottom half of the frame, but the Falcons knotted the game at 1-1 in the top of the second.

Nick Glanzman was hit by a pitch with two outs, keeping the inning alive. Tyler Greiner then coaxed a walk, setting up a two-out single from Hunter Clanin. Clanin's RBI single through the left side plated Glanzman.

Bowling Green starter C.J. Schildt worked out of a big-time jam in the bottom of the second, allowing the Falcons to reclaim the lead later on in the ballgame. With the bases loaded and only one out, Schildt induced an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. The southpaw then worked perfect frames in both the third and fourth, before the Falcons took a 2-1 lead in the fifth.

Minorik started the one-run fifth with a one-out single into center field. Brown then chopped a single that bounced off the turf infield and over the first baseman's head, allowing Minorik to advance all the way over to third. Smith then beat out a double play, driving in Minorik in the process to give the Falcons a 2-1 lead.

Ball State had a great chance to tie the ballgame in the bottom of the fifth, as the Cardinals stole third with only one out. But Matt Eppers over slid the bag, allowing the Falcons to eventually tag him out in a rundown between third and home.

Ball State then worked a walk with two outs, knocking Schildt out of the game. Devin Daugherty entered in relief of Schildt, and left two runners on base to keep Bowling Green's 2-1 lead intact. In total, Schildt worked 4.2 innings, allowing the one earned run on just two hits. He worked around four walks, and fanned one batter.

In eighth, the Falcons scored an important insurance run. Greg Basalyga – who had registered nine RBI over BGSU's last five games heading into the contest – doubled home Smith to give the Falcons a 3-1 lead. Smith worked a walk to leadoff the frame.

Meanwhile, Daugherty was dealing. After recording the final out of the fifth, Daugherty went on to shutout the Cardinals in the sixth and seventh, before Brown and Landi pitched Bowling Green into the eighth. After Minorik's blast in the top of the ninth, Landi shut the door to nail down the win.

The Falcons improve to 5-8 in Mid-American Conference play, and 15-23 overall with the victory. Ball State – who entered the game with a 10-2 home record – drops to 23-16 (9-4 MAC) with the loss.

The Falcons and Cardinals will resume the series tomorrow (April 23) afternoon at 1 p.m. The series will then conclude on Sunday (April 24) with another 1 p.m. start time. Following the weekend slate at Ball State, Bowling Green will wrap up a five-game road swing with an April 27 contest at Youngstown State.