BGSU baseball fell 11-2 in the rubber match against Samford in Birmingham, Alabama, Sunday.
The Falcons have lost all three multi-game series this season.
The Bulldogs hit four home runs and outhit Bowling Green 16-8. The Falcons left nine runners on base and hit just .176 (3-17) with runners on base and .125 (1-8) with runners in scoring position.
Samford did much of its scoring early.
Junior infielder Cade Carr opened the action with an RBI double in the first inning. In the third frame, sophomore infielder Gus Gandy launched a solo home run to left field before senior switch-hitting outfielder Trey Higgins drove in two on a double down the right field line, making the game 4-0.
The Falcons got on the board in the top of the fourth with a home run by redshirt junior first baseman Brady Birchmeier, his first of the season.
However, the Bulldogs responded with four more runs in the bottom half of the inning, with Gandy homering for a second time, sophomore outfielder Jake Souders scoring on a wild pitch and redshirt junior outfielder Luke Boykin launching a ball over the left field wall.
Junior right-handed pitcher Andrew Heffernan got knocked out of the game in the fourth inning, allowing six runs and eight hits in 3.1 innings, taking his second loss of the year. He tallied three strikeouts, while walking a batter and hitting another.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Jackson Miller and sophomore right-handed reliever CJ Boudreaux allowed five runs in two combined innings of work for the Falcons.
Meanwhile, senior left-handed pitcher Luke Krouse, redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Ethan Stade and sophomore right-handed pitcher Micah Smith finished the game for Bowling Green, allowing just one hit and striking out seven over the final 2.2 innings.
The Falcons added their final run in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI single up the middle by junior infielder Vinny Salvione, making it an 8-2.
Samford added three more insurance runs, with senior infielder Jeffrey Ince driving in a run on a single in the fifth inning and freshman center Eddie Marshall launching a two-run home run in the sixth.
Graduate student right-handed pitcher Trey Sanders earned his first win of the season in relief for Samford, allowing one run on four hits and striking out two batters in 1.1 innings.
Samford’s starter, senior right-hander Joseph Lee, did not take a decision after giving up just one run on three hits and striking out five batters with two walks across four innings.
Junior right-handed pitcher John Malone, freshman right-handed pitcher Michael Fredette and redshirt sophomore left-handed pitcher Palmer O’Beirne all tossed at least one scoreless inning in relief.
Junior designated hitter TJ Takats, playing in just his third game since returning from a torn ACL, was the only Falcon to record multiple hits.
Birchmeier was the only Bowling Green batter to not strike out, finishing the three-game series against the Bulldogs batting .417 (5-12) with four RBIs, a double and a home run, by far his best series of the young season.
Next, Bowling Green will begin conference play on the road against Kent State in a three-game weekend series, beginning on Friday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with a 1 p.m. start time on Sunday. Falcon Media Sports Network will have a radio broadcast of every game on Falcon Radio, streaming on bgfalconmedia.com.
