Falcons Claim First Win Of 2024 Campaign Behind All-Around Team Effort

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Bowling Green State University baseball team continued a strong weekend at the plate, scoring seven runs in the weekend finale Sunday (Feb. 18) against Middle Tennessee with all seven runs being scored by different players. Seven different Falcons logged at least one hit with every batter who logged an at-bat reached base. As for the mound, Calvin Mitchell picked up the win, going five innings in the start with four strikeouts. Luke Krouse came on in relief with three strikeouts over 2.1 innings. Logan Bell added 1.1 hitless innings before Jacob Turner recorded the final out via strikeout for the win, moving BGSU to 1-2 after the opening weekend.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The first run of the game came in the bottom of the first for Middle Tennessee. A single and an error put a runner on second. A single later in the inning scored the unearned run to push the Blue Raiders in front 1-0.
The Bowling Green offense came to life in the top of the second. Brady Birchmeier logged the first BGSU hit of the game, a single through the left side. Jack Krause soon followed with a single to right. An error on a pickoff attempt to second rolled into center field, allowing both Birchmeier and Krause to advance a base.
Leighton Banjoff hit into a fielder's choice with the shortstop going to third for the out, but it was enough for Birchmeier to score and tie the game at 1-1.
In the bottom of the second, MTSU registered a two-out single, but Garrett Wright caught the runner trying to steal second to end the inning.
DJ Newman began the third inning with a single to left field. Sam Seidel was hit by a pitch to put two on with both runners moving up a base on a wild pitch.
With two outs in the inning, Tyler Ross sparked a rally, hitting a ball to right field. A fielding mishap allowed the ball to drop with both Newman and Seidel scoring to make it a 3-1 BGSU lead and prompt a MTSU pitching change.
After the change on the mound, Krause and Banjoff both drew walks to load the bases and bring on another pitching change. Gavin Ganun welcomed the new pitcher with a two-RBI single to center, scoring Ross and Krause for a 5-1 lead.
The Blue Raiders added a tally on a wild pitch in the bottom of the third to cut into the lead 5-2.
The Falcons responded in the fourth. Nathan Archer reached on a walk before taking second on a wild pitch, third on another wild pitch and scoring on a third wild pitch to make it a 6-2 lead.
Calvin Mitchell worked a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the fourth to keep the score in check.
In the top of the fifth, Krause nearly had a home run. He pulled a deep shot to right that floated just foul before belting a ball to center that was caught in an outstretched glove of MTSU's centerfielder while colliding with the wall.
In the bottom of the fifth, Mitchell added another scoreless frame to his work for the day, his third scoreless inning through five.
Luke Krouse came on to relieve Mitchell in the sixth. Middle Tennessee put two on, but Krouse worked out of the inning without damage. He ended the inning by fielding a ball off the glove side of the mound for the lefty and firing to first for the out.
In the seventh, Banjoff began the inning with a walk before stealing second. Wright was hit by a pitch before a pitching change.
After the change, a walk to Seidel loaded the bases with two outs. Archer stepped in and drew a walk of his own to score Banjoff and extend the lead to 7-2 before another pitching change.
In the bottom half, Krouse sent the Blue Raiders down in order to keep the 7-2 score in place.
A pair of Middle Tennessee singles in the eighth put runners at the corners before a sacrifice fly brought one home.

STAT LEADERS

Calvin Mitchell: W (1-0), 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 1 BB
Luke Krouse: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 3 K
Logan Bell: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 1 K
Leighton Banjoff: 2-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 SB
DJ Newman: 2-for-6, 1 R, 1 SB
Nathan Archer: 1-for-2, 1 RBI,1 R, 2 BB
Gavin Ganun: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 1 BB
Jack Krause: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB

FALCON STAT FACTS

Calvin Mitchell made his Bowling Green debut, getting the start on the mound. Mitchell recorded five innings in the start, striking out four and not allowing an earned run.
After a three-hit game Saturday, Jack Krause picked up where he left off with a single in his first at-bat, giving him a hit in each of Bowling Green's first three games of the season.
Logan Bell made his first appearance of the season, not allowing a hit or a run. Bell didn't allow a run in his first five appearances of 2023.
DJ Newman had a pair of hits in the game, giving him multiple hits in all three of BGSU's games this weekend.
Leighton Banjoff tallied two stolen bases, his first game with multiple base swipes as a Falcon. Banjoff added a two-hit day to his stat line, his third as a Falcon and first since Feb. 19, 2023.
With a single in the second, the first BGSU hit of the game, Brady Birchmeier continued his three-game hitting streak to begin the 2024 campaign and his collegiate career.
TJ Takats pinch hit in the eighth for BGSU and ripped a single to left, his third hit in as many games to begin his college career with the Falcons.
Gavin Ganun logged a hit for the Falcons, giving him a hit in each of his two games played after not seeing the field in Saturday's contest. The hit also brought in two RBI for Ganun, his sixth multiple-RBI game of his BGSU career and first of the season.
Coming on as the right fielder in the bottom of the eighth, Caden Parker made his BGSU debut in the game.

UP NEXT
BGSU will return to the state of Tennessee next weekend to take on Memphis. The series will begin on Friday (Feb. 23) with a 5 p.m. EST start. Saturday's game (Feb. 24) is set for a 3 p.m. EST first pitch and the series will conclude on Sunday (Feb. 25) at 2 p.m. EST.

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