Falcons Drop 2018 Season Opener At UAB

Friday, February 16

Birmingham, AL

5:00 PM

Bowling Green State University

0-1

University of Alabama at Birmingham

1-0

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

February 16, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by BGSU Athletic Communications

Box Score (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Despite a trio of first inning runs, the Bowling Green State University baseball team dropped a 4-3 decision to the University of Alabama-Birmingham on Friday evening (Feb. 16). The game was held at Regions Field in Birmingham, Ala. and was the 2018 season opener for both teams.

BGSU began the game with three runs in the top of the first, but UAB earned the win by plating individual runs in the first, third, fourth, and eighth innings. The two teams play twice more this weekend, at 2:00 p.m. EST, on Saturday and Sunday.

"It's tough when we essentially haven't practiced on a baseball diamond since the fall, but I thought our team competed very hard," said head coach Danny Schmitz. "We made one-too many mistakes, and they made us pay. I'm looking forward to the next few days.".

In the first game of Danny Schmitz's 28th season at the Falcons' helm, Neil Lambert led off the game with a sharp single to center. Jake Wilson, the 2017 MAC Freshman of the Year, followed with a bunt single. Lambert swung around to third on Wilson's base hit, then crossed the plate thanks to an error by Blazers' catcher Stephen Dobbs.

After a pair of walks and swinging strikeouts, senior second baseman Derek Drewes came up with the bases loaded and two outs. He laced a line drive to center that scored Wilson and Joe McGuinness and handed starter Zac Carey a 3-0 lead.

However, the Falcon offense could not generate another run, and UAB slowly chipped away. The Blazers scored on a single in the first and a sacrifice fly in the third, then tied the game in the fourth with a two-out, nobody-on rally. The game remained tied into the eighth, when an error allowed the go-ahead run to score.

NOTABLES
• BGSU starting pitcher Zac Carey threw 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits
• Carey struck out three and walked none; since the start of 2017, his BB/9 rate is an excellent 1.70
• Brad Croy pitched two innings of hitless relief with two strikeouts and a walk
• Wilson earned two hits in four at-bats, including a double
• Drewes also went 2-for-4 with a double
• In total, four of the Falcons' eight hits were doubles
• Lambert, Justin Mott, Jeff Scott, and Ty Suntken also registered hits for BGSU
• Drewes posted both of BGSU's RBIs; Lambert, Wilson, and McGuinness scored one run each