BGSU baseball (25-11, 13-6 MAC) came away with a 6-4 victory against Ball State (27-12, 13-3 MAC) in the series opener on Thursday afternoon.
The Cardinals were the preseason favorites in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and came into the series on a four-game winning streak and in first place in the conference. The Falcons came into the game off back-to-back MAC series losses and 6-4 in their last 10 games.
Starting on the mound for the Orange & Brown was junior starting pitcher Jacob Turner, who went into Thursday with a 2-2 record and a 6.16 earned run average (ERA). He was matched up against Ball State’s sophomore starting pitcher Keegan Johnson, who won last year’s MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year Award and came into the game with an undefeated 6-0 record.
Ball State started off the scoring immediately with a first-pitch leadoff home run rocket-launched off the backdrop in dead centerfield by senior second baseman Alex Richter. The long ball was Richter’s 10th of the season.
Bowling Green got on the board in the bottom of the third inning with a two-run home run by Gavin Ganun. The senior outfielder’s fifth moonshot of the year was tattooed into deep left field over the trees behind Stellar Field’s outfield wall, giving the Falcons a 2-1 lead.
“It always feels good to square balls up, so as a hitter, it’s just a confidence builder,” Ganun said postgame about the home run.
Falcons’ sophomore first baseman Brady Birchmeier made a spectacular line drive diving catch in the top of the fourth inning to make an unassisted double play. Birchmeier is known more for his power hitting but his defense has also been great this season, especially in Thursday’s game, where he made three diving plays and seven of the 27 putouts by himself.
The crowd at Stellar Field erupted in the bottom half of the fourth as Ganun continued his hot day with a two-run double to right-centerfield to extend the Bowling Green lead to 4-1 and end the day for Johnson, who pitched three 2/3 innings during his outing and finished with an uncharacteristic five walks.
On the other hand, Turner’s start was one of his most impressive of the season, ending with five 2/3 innings pitched, two earned runs, eight hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
Bowling Green senior shortstop Gunner Antillon had a leadoff double in the fifth inning and his second home run of the season in the seventh to help give the Falcons their fifth and sixth runs. Antillon slugged at the plate with three total extra-base hits in the game.
“He’s had six years of the college weight room and on his way out he’s flexing a little bit and getting the barrel of the baseball,” said head coach Kyle Hallock postgame.
Bowling Green sophomore relief pitcher Owen Poole gave up two late-inning home runs. However, the Falcons held onto a 6-4 victory as senior closer Connar Penrod shut down Ball State’s bats in the bottom of the ninth, notching his 10th save of the season and extending his single-season saves record.
Game two of the series will be played on Friday, April 18, at 1:00 p.m. Tyler Kavalecz and Chas McNeil will be on the call on Falcon Radio.
