The BGSU baseball team remained unbeaten at home and improved to 14-11 overall after winning an 11-7 brawl against the University of Findlay. The Falcons piled on 16 hits in the win, their fifth in a row.
Sophomore reliever Garret Kloots picked up his first win of the season on the wake of a four-run eighth inning by the Falcons that cemented the victory.
The Oilers wasted no time lighting the scoreboard, plating two in the opening frame. But the Falcons struck right back in the bottom of the inning.
Second baseman Eric Lawson extended his hitting streak to five games with a single in the first before being thrown out on a fielder’s choice at second base.
After a failed double play attempt that would have ended the inning, a single by right fielder Andrew Foster put a runner in scoring position with two outs.
What happened next could truly be called an act of God. On a routine pop-up to the shortstop, gusting winds caused the ball to fall harmlessly to the dirt and allowed Bowling Green to score their first run. They went on to tie the score on a single by first baseman Josh Dietz
“Mother Nature, she can throw some things at you,” Falcon coach Danny Schmitz said.
The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of up to 42 mph during game time.
“There was not a routine play today. On a day like today you’re going to give up runs, but you can limit those runs by limiting walks,” Falcon pitching coach Tod Brown said. The Falcon pitching staff gave up only three walks the whole game.
After a scoreless Oilers second, the Falcons struck again when centerfielder Kevin Leady laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt and shortstop Chris Gacom scored from third. Leady was also safe on the play at first when he was able to slide underneath the pitcher’s tag.
A fully extended diving catch by Findlay right fielder Richie Van Hoose ended the inning in spectacular fashion.
The Oilers and Falcons each scored once in the third, and BG added another in the fourth. Findlay centerfielder Kyle Blessing hit a home run in the fifth to keep the score close at 5-4.
Schmitz went to his bench early in the game, a move that looked like it might cost the Falcons the game for a minute.
In the seventh inning a walk, a single and a balk gave the Oilers runners on second and third. A bloop to shallow right scored both and gave Findlay the lead again 6-5.
The Falcons’ reserves struck back in the bottom of the inning, however. Two Findlay errors and RBIs by first baseman Brandon McFarland and DH Jeff Telmanik reclaimed the lead for the Falcons.
“The only way guys are going to develop and get better is if they get to play,” said Schmitz.
The Falcons came out in the eighth playing small ball, but when two would-be sacrifice bunts yielded additional base runners, Leady came to the plate with bases loaded and zero outs.
With the infield shifted in, he was able to sneak a grounder between the third baseman and shortstop for a two-run single.
“I’m not a guy that has a huge amount of power. The main thing for me was getting something I could handle. I wasn’t trying to pull it, that just happened,” Leady said
Two more in the eighth gave Falcons reliever Brett Browning a comfortable cushion coming into the ninth. The Oilers were able to score one more run, but that was it, bringing the final score to 11-7.
