BGSU baseball defeated the Lourdes University Gray Wolves 13-4 Wednesday at Steller Field after scoring 13 unanswered runs through the last seven innings.
The win marked the fifth victory for the Falcons, tied with Kent State for the longest active winning streak in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
Bowling Green’s 13 runs and 16 hits are both the most in a game by the team this season.
The beginning of the game drew concern from the Bowling Green home crowd. After BG starting pitcher Micah Smith tossed three straight strikeouts in the first inning, he gave up Lourdes’ only four runs in the second inning, pitching just 1.2 innings, giving up the runs on three hits and two walks.
Senior catcher Andrew Arntson drove in the first runs for the Grey Wolves via a three-run home run to left field. The other Lourdes run scored from a sacrifice groundout.
The Falcons, however, got to work the following inning, beginning their scoring in the third. BG also scored four runs in both the seventh and eighth innings, closing the door on the Gray Wolves.
Freshman Chase Chopin led the team with three RBIs, all on a three-run homer into the trees over the left field fence in the eighth inning, his first hit and home run on the season.
“He was out here hitting on his own with the lights on,” head coach Kyle Hallock said. “The baseball gods were watching, and they continue to act on those that do things the correct way.”
Junior designated hitter TJ Takats also hit his first home run of the year, scoring twice and batted two runs in.
Vinny Salvione and Anthony Mitta notched three hits each, though everyone in the BG lineup had at least one hit.
“Having a whole-team success makes it feel good and going into the next series it’s huge for us,” Chopin said. “We struggled a little offensively. Now that we’re starting to swing it and heat it up, I think hitting is contagious and we’re getting hot.”
Four Bowling Green pitchers entered in relief. Joey Buchanan, Andrew Heffernan, and Ethan Papachek only allowed one hit each.
Chase Clatur, who pitched the ninth inning, did not give up a hit. The Gray Wolves had only six hits in total.
The Falcons have newfound momentum as they prepare to return to conference play.
“I think that our opponents should be nameless and faceless,” Hallock said. “We can control all of the things that we do. Once the ball leaves your hand as a pitcher, anything can happen. Once the ball leaves your bat as a hitter, run hard, anything can happen.”
Next, Bowling Green will next host Central Michigan for a three-game series at Steller Field. Game one of the series is set for 6 p.m. on Friday.
