Righter’s Big Fly Powers BGSU To Saturday Win Over NIU

Saturday, May 12

Bowling Green, Ohio

2:05 PM

Bowling Green State University

11-34, 0

Northern Illinois University

18-32, 0

Northern Illinois

Bowling Green

May 12, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by James Nahikian, BGSU Athletic Communications

Box Score (PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team picked up a 7-5 victory over Northern Illinois University on Saturday (May 12) afternoon at Steller Field. A Randy Righter three-run home run capped a four-run fifth for the Falcons. BGSU maintained the lead the rest of the way to force a series rubber match tomorrow (May 13) at 1:05 p.m.

"This is what we've been looking for as far as the three phases," said head coach Danny Schmitz after the win. "Our defense was solid, we put up the runs, and our pitching gave us a great chance to win the game. I look for our guys to come out tomorrow and play for the seniors, and try to send them out with a series win."

With the win, Bowling Green moves to 11-34 (6-15 MAC) on the season. Northern Illinois, with the loss, drops to 18-32 (7-16 MAC).

TAKING BACK THE LEAD
• After Northern Illinois jumped in front with a tally in the top of the first, Bowling Green quickly bounced back to take the lead.
• A Jeff Scott two-out double started a two-out rally in the second. Nick Neibauer then tied the game with a single into left field.
• In the third, it was a Derek Drewes two-out single to left that scored RJ Williams, giving the Falcons a 2-1 lead.

RIGHTER'S BLAST
• Northern Illinois countered with a two-run fifth, but the Falcons went on to score four in the bottom half of the frame to take a 6-3 lead.
• Jake Wilson – who extended his consecutive games on-base streak to 25 on the day, while also moving his hitting streak to 11-straight games – got the inning started with a one-out single.
• Dylan Dohanos put runners on the corners with another base knock, setting up Derek Drewes' second RBI single of the game.
• The Drewes single tied the game at three-apiece. Randy Righter then fell in a 0-2 hole at the plate, before launching the three-run blast over the left-field fence. The big fly marked Righter's third home run of the season.

FRESHMEN ARMS
• Jake Wilson would tack on an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI single, and that was more than enough on the day for the Falcon pitching staff.
• Freshman Ben Beutel earned his first-career win, as he logged 5.2 innings, and surrendered four earned runs.
• Fellow freshman Jeremy Spezia took over, and was downright dominant. A two-out walk in the ninth was the only blemish over Spezia's 3.0 innings of no-hit ball.
• Brad Croy faced one batter – the final batter of the game. Croy induced a fly out to earn his fifth save of the season.

SENIOR DAY
• Tomorrow's Senior Day festivities will get underway at approximately 12:45 p.m.
• Prior to the game, seven Falcon seniors – Tyler Anderson, Kody Brown, Zac Carey, Derek Drewes, Justin Mott, Wes Rickenberg and Randy Righter – will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.

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