BGSU baseball (1-5) picked up their 1,800th win in program history in a thrilling victory in game one of their doubleheader against Western Carolina (5-2) Saturday before being shut out in the second game.
The Falcons had to shift another series to a doubleheader due to weather, but this time the Falcons were able to come away with a split.
GAME ONE
TJ Takats returned to the lineup for the first time since tearing his ACL against Toledo on May 2 of last year at Fifth Third Field, and a clutch eighth inning rally to come back and win were the headlines of the first game.
Zack Horky led the Falcons on offense with a three-hit, two-RBI day, including his first home run of the year in the ninth inning to give the Orange and Brown insurance.
It was all Western Carolina to start the game, however, as Noah Quarless smoked a three-run homer off Carrson Sova to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
Those three were the only runs that Sova gave up, as he finished with three innings pitched, six hits allowed, two walks and three strikeouts.
The Falcons got on the board in the third inning, thanks to Horky’s single through the left side, making it a 3-1 game.
Nate Kress entered in the fourth inning, and despite giving up a sacrifice fly in that inning, he was lights out for the Falcons.
Kress went five innings, only allowing three hits and two earned runs. He allowed one walk and struck out two batters.
In the fifth inning, the Falcons cut the deficit to two runs with an Anthony Mitta double down the left field line, scoring Sam Seidel and making it a 4-2 game.
It would remain that score until the eighth inning.
The Falcons started out hot with a leadoff triple from Horky before Pauly Mancino brought him home with a single in the next at-bat.
Takats moved Mancino to third with a single before Chase Chopin laid down a bunt, and Mancino evaded the tag at home to score and tie the game at four runs apiece.
The rally kept going with a Vinny Salvione doubled to give the Falcons a 5-4 lead.
Horky added an insurance run for the Orange and Brown with a solo shot in the top of the ninth, a much-needed run as Western Carolina was able to score a run in the bottom of the ninth, but Kade Arn closed the door to earn the save and put Bowling Green in the win column for the first time this season.
Kress earned the win, the third win of his career and the first for the Bowling Green pitching staff this season.
GAME TWO
The second game in the doubleheader was a much different story. BG’s bats went quiet, managing only three hits, as they were shutout by Western Carolina 5-0 to split the doubleheader but lose their second straight series.
Wyatt Stanley was the standout for the Catamounts, tallying four hits in four at-bats with two RBIs, including a solo home run.
Mason Holton and Jackson Lyda also had three hits and an RBI each to lead the Catamount offense.
Western Carolina got it going early with three runs in the first two innings, including an RBI single from Stanley in the first and RBI singles from Lyda and Cole Jones in the second.
The Catamounts added another RBI single in the fourth, this time from Holton to make it 4-0.
The Falcons allowed no runs in the fifth and sixth innings until Stanley homered to left field in the seventh inning for the fifth and final run of the game.
Evan Meyers was lights out for the Catamounts, earning the win after going five innings with only three hits allowed, two walks and six strikeouts.
Andrew Heffernan was charged with the loss, going 3.1 innings pitched, allowing four runs on eight hits.
Next, BGSU will head down to Cincinnati, Ohio, to take on the Bearcats on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 4 p.m.
