Long Ball Lifts Falcons To Home Opener Win Over Purdue Fort Wayne

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BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team took on the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons on Tuesday (March 21) for the Falcons home opener. BGSU was paced by a season-high 10 hits and three home runs, claiming an 8-6 final for the victory. Three runs in both the third and sixth innings were the fuel for the Falcons offense. Kyle Gurney and Gavin Ganun each had solo blasts to cap 3-for-4 days at the plate for both batters while Anthony Toma added a two-run shot for the Orange and Brown.

On the mound, Connar Penrod snagged his fourth win in six relief appearances with the Falcons this season. Penrod tossed 2.1 hitless innings while striking out three. In the eighth inning, Owen Recker came on and pitched two scoreless innings while also striking out three, securing his second save of the season. The win moves BGSU to 5-12 on the season and 1-0 at home. The Falcons are also 5-4 in games that are not part of doubleheaders.

HOW IT HAPPENED

In the first inning, Purdue Fort Wayne tallied the first run of the game, being unearned, to go up 1-0.
The Falcons responded in the bottom half of the inning. Nathan Archer drew a two-out walk to get on base. Nathan Rose followed with a triple out to right center, scoring Archer from first and tying it up at 1-1 through one.
Bowling Green tallied a three-run bottom of the third to move out in front 4-1. Gavin Ganun began the inning with a hard hit single up the middle. Sam Seidel followed with a double to left field, scoring Ganun with Seidel moving up on the throw home.
Kyle Gurney followed with a double of his own, also knocking one to left field and scoring Seidel. Gurney was able to move up to third on a passed ball before scoring on a Rose double, making it a 4-1 BGSU lead.
Purdue Fort Wayne answered with a three-run home run in the top of the fourth to knot it up at 4-4.
In the bottom half of the fifth, Kyle Gurney sent the first pitch of the inning over the left center wall for his first home run of the season, pushing the Falcons out in front 5-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Tyler Ross began with a walk before Anthony Toma crushed a two-run home run over not only the left field fence, but the trees as well, making it a 7-4 BGSU lead with another change on the mound for the Mastodons.
The home runs weren't done in the sixth with Ganun sending a moon shot to left field to make it an 8-4 BGSU lead.
Purdue Fort Wayne responded with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh to narrow the gap to 8-6.
Owen Recker came on for the Falcons in the eighth inning and pitched two scoreless frames while striking out three to keep the 8-6 BGSU lead for the win and his second save of the season.

STAT LEADERS

Connar Penrod: W, 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 3 K
Owen Recker: SV, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 3 K
Kyle Gurney: 3-for-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB
Gavin Ganun: 3-for-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R
Anthony Toma: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 2BI, 1 R
Nathan Rose: 1-for-4, 1 3B, 2 RBI
Sam Seidel: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
Cooper McKenzie: 1-for-4

FALCON STAT FACTS

With the win, the Falcons have now won two consecutive games for the first time this season. BGSU has also won two straight home openers, beating Ohio 14-2 in last season's home opener, for the first time since 2018-19.
Connar Penrod picked up another win for the Falcons on the mound. Penrod is now 4-0 in six appearances and has been the winning pitcher in four of BGSU's five wins this season.
Owen Recker tallied his second save of the season for the Orange and Brown. Recker now has three saves as a Falcon after logging one during the 2022 season.
Kyle Gurney, Gavin Ganun and Anthony Toma all hit their first home runs of the season for the Falcons. For Ganun, it was his first home run at the collegiate level while Toma's was his second.
Over the last two games, Gurney is now 6-for-8 at the plate with four RBI, three runs scored, one home run and one double.
As for Ganun, not only did he have his first home run, but he also had his second multiple-hit game of his collegiate career. His first came last season against St. Louis in his collegiate debut, going 3-for-4 in that game as well.
Cooper McKenzie made his second start behind the plate for the Falcons. He's now logged a base hit in each start.
Bowling Green has now won four straight games against Purdue Fort Wayne, the longest win streak in the series all-time for BGSU.

UP NEXT
The Falcons will continue their homestand on Wednesday (March 22) with another midweek Horizon League opponent. Bowling Green will host Youngstown State at Steller Field for a 3 p.m. first pitch.

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