Bowling Greens’ first of two meetings with Oakland resulted in a sluggers’ dream, scoring 22 runs through four innings, and finishing the day with 35 runs between both teams.
After back-to-back flyouts from Nathan Archer and Sam Seidel in the first, DJ Newman avoided the one-two-three inning through a throwing error by the pitcher Gage Smith. Smith then hit Tyler Ross, setting up BG’s Jack Krause for a base-hit to right field, scoring Newman.
Oakland answered promptly with an eight-run inning, starting with a John Lauinger single to score Trent Rice and Brandon Nigh. The wheels fell off the wagon for BG as the next six batters received an error, a double, two walks, and two more doubles. The latter double was an RBI hit by Rice who was thrown out trying to reach third base, ending the inning 8-2 Oakland.
Both teams extended their lead in the second. The Falcons scored one run on a passed ball leaving two runners on base. The Golden Grizzlies scored on a double to center field, then a passed ball of their own, knocking Isaiah Seidel off the mound for the Falcons.
The third inning was all BG, as they scored eight runs on six hits. All four scoring plays came from second-pitch doubles by Landon Roque, Cooper McKenzie, S. Seidel, and Ross.
Additionally, Ross, Gavin Ganun, Archer, and Newman all walked in the third racking up 46 pitches from Grizzlies Will Hearn and Shane McAlinden and tying the game 11-11.
BG took the lead for the second time in the fifth inning with a ground ball to the shortstop, scoring S. Seidel from third base. Ganun added a two-out run with a single, Roque walked, and TJ Takats smashed a first-pitch home run off Jaxson Easterlin, bringing the Falcon lead to 16-11.
Like BG in the third inning, the Grizzlies didn’t go down easy. Oakland’s Aidan Orr scored a two-out two-run double off Calvin Mitchell in the bottom of the fifth, followed by a two-run blast from Sam Griffith and a double by Reggie Bussey, signaling the end of the game for Mitchell.
Bussey stole third and home off Mitchell’s replacement Logan Bell, locking the game at 16 through five innings.
In the top of the sixth, Newman singled to center, advanced to third base on a fielder’s choice and wild pitch, and scored on a single by Krause. After two walks and a fielder’s choice, and with bases loaded and two outs, McKenzie struck out looking to leave three men on and a one-run lead.
A two-run sixth squashed the Falcon lead. After getting two outs to open the inning, Bell walked a batter and allowed the two runs through a back-to-back RBI double and RBI single.
Unfortunately, the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings were squashed as well. According to BGSU Baseball, “the umpires of today’s game have deemed the game unsafe to continue,” due to the inclement weather.
Before the rain washed away the last three innings, the total offense had washed away eight pitchers, three from the Falcons and five from the Golden Grizzlies (one pitcher for each team was never pulled out due to cancellation).
BG hitters recorded 16 hits on 32 at-bats, 15 RBIs, five doubles, two home runs, 13 walks and 17 runs. Oakland rivaled the Falcons in offense as they scored 19 hits on 36 at-bats, 16 RBIs, seven doubles, one home run, eight walks, and 18 runs.
The game will resume when Oakland comes to Bowling Green on May 1 before their second meeting of the season. BG will start the seventh inning on offense, trailing 17-18.
In the meantime, the Falcons will continue their MAC bouts in DeKalb where they will play Northern Illinois in a three-game weekend series starting this Friday.
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