The Bowling Green baseball team’s (11-9, 9-0 MAC) six-game winning streak ended on Thursday afternoon as Xavier (13-13) beat the Falcons in the first of a three-game series in walk-off fashion, 11-10.  

After the Falcons went down in order in the top of the first inning, Xavier struck first, as senior infielder Matt McCormick launched a home run, giving the Musketeers an early 1-0 lead.  

However, Bowling Green responded in the top of the second frame, with junior outfielder Gavin Ganun driving in senior third baseman Leighton Banjoff on a single to even the score at one apiece.  

The Musketeers’ bats got hot in the bottom of the second inning. They hit two doubles and scored three runs, pushing their lead to 4-1.  

The Falcons wasted no time responding, as junior outfielder Nathan Archer and sophomore infielder Sam Seidel led off the top of the third inning with back-to-back home runs, cutting Xavier’s lead to 4-3.  

After neither team scored in the fourth inning, Seidel drove Archer in with a single in the top of the fifth, evening the score at four apiece.   

Bowling Green kept their foot on the gas, with senior outfielder Jack Krause driving in a run on a double and Ganun hammering a three-run home run, pushing BG ahead 8-4.  

The Musketeers answered back in the bottom of the fifth, with junior infielder Luke Hammond hitting a solo home run to cut BGSU’s lead to 8-5.  

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Jack Niedringhaus came into the game in the top of the sixth frame, relieving Xavier’s starting pitcher, junior Luke Hoskins. Hoskins allowed 11 hits, eight runs and four earned runs while striking out four in five innings pitched.  

After the pitching change, Archer blasted his second homer of the game, extending the Falcons’ lead to 9-5.  

Sophomore right-hander Perry Miller relieved junior Landon Willeman, BG’s starting pitcher, at the beginning of the bottom of the sixth. Willeman allowed seven hits, five runs and four earned runs while walking one and striking out four batters in five innings of work.  

Hammond drilled his second home run of the day in the bottom of the sixth frame, a three-run shot to center field, cutting Bowling Green’s lead to 9-8.  

The Falcons tacked on another run in the top of the seventh, with senior infielder David Silva driving in Krause on a bases-loaded single to push BG’s advantage to 10-8.  

However, Xavier hit two home runs in the bottom of the ninth to complete the comeback and beat the Falcons.  

Miller pitched just 0.2 innings, allowing two hits and three runs. Meanwhile, freshman Owen Poole and junior Connar Penrod combined to pitch 2.1 scoreless innings.  

However, sophomore Jacob Turner gave up two homers and three runs in the bottom of the ninth, getting tagged with the loss and blown save.  

After Niedringhaus pitched an inning, Xavier went through four more bullpen arms, with senior Connor Bailey, fifth-year Alex Vera, fifth-year Jonathan Kelly and junior Nolan Hughes combining to pitch three innings. Hughes, who pitched a scoreless top of the ninth, earned the win.  

Archer stayed hot, going 3-6 at the plate, hitting two home runs and a double, scoring three times and driving in two runs.  

Meanwhile, Silva finished with three hits, and Ganun drove four runs.  

Next, the Orange and Brown will play two more games against the Musketeers, with the first pitch set for 2 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday.