BGSU baseball (19-11, 15-0 MAC) completed their fifth straight Mid-American Conference (MAC) series sweep on Sunday afternoon, outdueling Central Michigan (11-25, 5-13 MAC) in 11 innings by a score of 18-17.
The Falcons went down five different times in the game, showing their resilience and coming back for a final time in the bottom of the 11th inning with a walk-off single by BGSU first baseman Brady Birchmeier.
The win takes the Falcons to a 7-0 record at home, marking the first time they have started 7-0 at home against all NCAA Division I opponents in program history.
“It’s crazy, that’s all I really got,” Birchmeier said postgame. “We’ve had some lopsided games throughout this MAC run, but this is one that we had to battle for the most and to keep coming out on top like this is something special.”
After the Chippewas struck first in the top half of the first, the Falcons took advantage of a windy day at Steller Field, hitting three home runs in the first inning including a two-run shot by right fielder Jack Krause to give Bowling Green a 4-1 lead.
Central Michigan tied the game back up in the next two innings, hitting two home runs off BGSU starting pitcher Landon Willeman and setting the tone for the rest of the game.
The two sides would trade leads in the next three innings, as BGSU catcher Garrett Wright and third baseman Leighton Banjoff would hit their second home runs of the game, taking the Falcons to a 9-8 lead going into the seventh.
Central Michigan freshman Drew Loikits hit his second home run of the game and second of the season in the top of the seventh, bringing in two others and making it an 11-9 ballgame in favor of the Chippewas.
BGSU retaliated in the bottom half of the inning, putting up three runs on four walks and 2 hit batters, giving the Falcons the lead back once again.
CMU wouldn’t go away, putting up five runs in the ninth inning, three of which were scored on a three-run home run by CMU shortstop Elijah Henning to put the Chippewas up 16-13 and force the Falcons to score three or go home in the bottom half of the inning.
With the middle of the lineup up to bat, BGSU would score one from a single by infielder Landon Roque, leaving pinch hitter DJ Newman the opportunity to keep the winning streak alive.
Newman would deliver, hitting a single into left field that scored two, tying the game up at 16-16 and sending the game into extra innings.
Central Michigan would score one run in the top of the tenth, as Chippewa right fielder Marquis Jackson would get on base via a walk and get to second on a wild pitch from BGSU reliever Rigo Ramos.
Jackson proceeded to catch Ramos sleeping, stealing third while he was about to deliver a pitch, causing him to throw a wild pitch and allowing Jackson to score from third, giving CMU a one-run lead.
BGSU left fielder Caden Parker would tie the game up in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run, the sixth and final homer of the day for the Falcons, sending the game to eleven innings as the clock struck 5 p.m.
Ramos would hold Central Michigan scoreless in the top of the eleventh, setting up the perfect opportunity to end the game in the bottom of the inning.
Birchmeier would hit the walk-off single that scored Roque, sending the Steller Field crowd home happy and ending the game at a final score of 18-17 in favor of Bowling Green.
BGSU head coach Kyle Hallock commented on the team’s effort postgame, supporting the hard work and mindset of the Falcons.
“I think it’s a direct reflection of their priorities,” BGSU head coach Kyle Hallock said postgame. “the numbers that they care about are the ones on the scoreboard and when we put different guys in there at different spots and they produce and the guys that didn’t start today like Seidel and Newman are two of the biggest cheerleaders on the bench, I think it’s a sign that the strength of our team is the fact that we are a team.”
BGSU will attempt to keep their home winning streak alive on Wednesday when they battle the Youngstown State Penguins at 3 p.m.
