The Bowling Green Falcons (24-14, 18-3 MAC) fought off multiple comeback attempts from the Toledo Rockets (20-25, 13-11 MAC), prevailing 17-9 in Tuesday’s non-conference matchup.  

The Rockets got on the board first, jumping Falcons starter Perry Miller from the get-go. 

Right fielder Caden Konczak singled to right field, allowing designated hitter Owen Jackson to take a 1-1 pitch for a ride to deep center. 

The Rockets led 2-0 after the Falcons stranded two runners in the bottom of the first frame before adding two more runs in the top of the second. 

Although Toledo led 4-0 in the bottom of the second, it would be the last time they led for the rest of the game.  

Senior infielder Landon Roque doubled to lead off the bottom of the second before junior outfielder Gavin Ganun drew a walk to load the bases. 

Back-to-back walks drawn by sophomore catcher Cooper McKenzie and junior outfielder Nathan Archer gave the Falcons their first and second runs of the afternoon.  

After two straight swinging strikeouts, senior infielder Leighton Banjoff walked up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. 

With a 1-1 count, he launched a fastball over the left field wall to give BG its first lead—a lead they never relinquished.  

Toledo tacked on a run in the top of the third on a fielder’s choice before Bowling Green freshman first baseman TJ Takats lifted a ball over the right field fence to give BG their two-run lead back.  

In the top of the fourth inning, a lead-off homer from UT second baseman Scott Mackiewicz brought the Rockets back within a run.  

The Falcons really began to lay it on in the fifth. 

After Ganun homered to right, a walk and a single set BG up to score, and an error by Mackiewicz allowed McKenzie to score. 

When the mistakes rained, they poured for Toledo, as Archer scored again, this time on a wild pitch by freshman righty Ryan Hughes.  

 Another Toledo error allowed BG to tack on their fourth run of the fifth frame.  

The Rockets answered with one run, cutting the lead to four on a single from Jackson in the top of the sixth. 

Bowling Green added two more insurance runs on another Rocket error, and a single from junior outfielder Caden Parker scored Roque and Takats, respectively, extending BG’s lead to 13-7.  

A JP Wagner single in the top of the seventh scored two Rockets, cutting the lead back to four. The runs were Toledo’s last of the game.  

 After this, Ganun laced a two-run single down the right field line, Archer singled to right and Parker found the same hole as Archer to extend the Falcons’ lead to 17-9, scoring the final runs of the ballgame.  

Archer finished the game 3-5 with two RBIs and a walk. 

Banjoff went 1-4 at the plate with a grand slam and a walk. The grand slam proved to be the tide-turner for the Falcons. 

Toledo used 10 pitchers in the game, with only one lasting more than one inning (Yianni Skeriotis, 1.1 IP), while BG used five arms.  

BGSU right-hander Luke Krouse (1-0) picked up his first win while UT’s RJ Schunk (1-4) was handed the loss. Schunk allowed five earned runs, three hits and four walks in just one inning.  

BG is back in action on Wednesday, resuming their game against Oakland from April 2, trailing 18-17 in the seventh inning, at noon. Then, they will play a full game against the Golden Grizzlies approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.