The Bowling Green baseball team (31-18, 23-6 MAC) etched more history into the record books on Friday night, defeating the Toledo Rockets (25-29, 16-13 MAC) at Fifth Third Field 8-6.
The win gives the Falcons, who were picked to finish eighth in the conference in the preseason, 23 Mid-American Conference (MAC) victories this season, the most in program history.
“It’s a great return on investment for everyone involved and a tribute to hard work being able to pay off in a lot of ways,” BGSU head coach Kyle Hallock said postgame. “Sometimes hard work isn’t guaranteed, and we’ve been working hard for not only this year but also for three years, and it’s nice to see things turn our way this year.”
The Falcons clinched the season series victory over archrival Toledo in front of nearly 3,000 fans after defeating the Rockets 3-1 at Steller Field on Thursday.
It’s big time. I think all of northwest Ohio that loves baseball was here,” Hallock said. “So, it’s important for us to play well and play our game at a high level in front of a couple thousand people and maybe get some more people to Steller Field as a result.”
BG’s pitching staff also racked up nine strikeouts, pushing their season total to 373. The mark is the most in a single season in program history, surpassing the 368 punchouts recorded by the 1999 team.
Toledo struck first, scoring two runs in the top of the third inning. UT junior outfielder Caden Konczak drove in a run with a double before scoring from third after a failed pickoff attempt by the Falcons.
However, BGSU responded in the bottom half of the frame, scoring three runs to take the lead.
Junior outfielder Caden Parker, freshman catcher Garrett Wright and senior infielder Tyler Ross all drove in a run with three straight singles.
The Falcons carried the momentum to the fourth inning, adding five more runs to extend their lead to 8-2.
Senior outfielder Jack Krause started the scoring in the inning by scoring on a wild pitch. Then, sophomore infielder Sam Seidel drove in a run with a double before senior infielder Landon Roque demolished a two-run home run that cleared the stadium and landed on the streets of Toledo.
Roque, a late addition to the team, has been an important part of BG’s success this season.
“It’s been a blessing, honestly. I’ve been through ups and downs, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be on this journey and go through everything that I’ve gone through. Being able to be a part of this and win in my last year is very special, and I give all credit and glory to God,” Roque said. “Just coming out win the win is really all that matters. We’re still not done; we’re hungry and trying to get more.”
Wright finished the scoring in the bottom of the fourth, driving in junior outfielder Nathan Archer with a single up the middle.
Although Archer went just 1-5 at the plate and struck out three times, he set a new program record for most single-season at-bats with 229.
Toledo, still fighting for seeding for the MAC Tournament, made a late rally.
Freshman infielder Charlie Scholvin, senior outfielder Scott Mackiewicz and junior outfielder Garret Pike all drove in a run on singles in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
Toledo starting pitcher Noah Johnson retired the first six Falcons to start the game; however, Bowling Green forced UT head coach Rob Reinstetle to go to his bullpen in the fourth inning.
Johnson, who took the loss, threw 75 pitches in 3.1 innings, allowing seven runs, four earned runs, six hits and one walk while striking out six Falcons.
The Rockets then used four different relievers to pitch the remaining 4.2 innings. Toledo has used 19 pitchers in three games against BG this season.
Bowling Green’s starting pitcher, junior left-hander Nic Good, had a solid outing. The Grosse Pointe, Michigan, native threw 69 pitches in four innings, allowing two runs, four hits and one walk while striking out three Rockets.
Junior Landon Willeman and sophomores Kade Arn and Luke Krouse all pitched in relief for BG. Willeman earned his third win of the season, while Krouse notched his first save this year.
Next, the Orange and Brown will wrap up their historic regular season on Saturday afternoon at Steller Field against Toledo. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Tyler Kavalecz and Chas McNeil will be joined by Todd Walker for the call of the game on 88.1 WBGU, starting at 2:45 for pregame and 3 p.m. for the first pitch.
After concluding their regular season, Bowling Green will turn their attention to the MAC Tournament in Avon next week.
“Job’s not done,” Hallock said. “That’s it; job’s not done.”
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