The BG baseball team was swept by the Murray State Thoroughbreds this past weekend in a series plagued by defensive miscues and bullpen meltdowns.
Despite the sweep, the Falcons did display strong offensive outbursts in the first and third games, scoring 14 runs in the series.
Game One
On Friday afternoon, BG starter Cody Apthorpe went 5 2/3 innings without giving up an earned run, but four Falcons’ errors and a number of wild pitches and hit batsmen contributed to 9-7 win for the Thoroughbreds.
In the seventh, with one out and runners on second and third, BG reliever Jason Link was instructed to intentionally walk Mike Kozlowski, who’d been 0-3 on the day to that point.
The walk left the bases loaded, and Link was pulled for Ben Singer, who promptly walked the next hitter to give up the go-ahead run.
From there, four straight Thoroughbreds batters reached base, as Murray State put up a six-run inning and pulled away for good.
Game Two
The Falcons got another strong start in the second game, this time from BG starter Mike Frank. The RHP went seven innings and surrendered a lone earned run, but took the loss in a disappointing 2-1 defeat Saturday.
All the damage came in the first inning, when Thoroughbreds leadoff hitter Ty Stetson doubled to start the inning. Again, miscues cost the Falcons greatly, as a throwing error from Trey Keegan on a sacrifice bunt scored Stetson and sent the batter to second base.
Frank, unsettled, threw a wild pitch to move the runner to third, later scoring on a groundout.
Two runs off one hit, and the Thoroughbreds kept the lead the remainder of the game, as BG could only muster a single run off seven hits in the contest.
Their best chance came in the sixth inning, with two on with no outs. But a groundout and double play ended the inning and Murray State held on to win 2-1.
Game Three
In the third game, Murray State’s offense exploded off BG starter Trevor Blalock, who gave up six earned runs in the contest.
As has been the case all season, mistakes were the difference, especially in the opening frame. A five-run inning to start the game from the Thoroughbreds came on just two hits, with Murray State benefitting from Blalock’s wildness.
The RHP sophomore could not find his control as Apthorpe and Frank had, walking three batters and throwing a wild pitch in the first inning.
BG managed to take the lead with a five-run inning of their own, all with two outs in the fourth inning.
In that inning, the Falcons had five consecutive two-out singles in between an error and wild pitch to take a 6-5 lead.
From there, it was all Murray State. They quickly took the lead in their half of the fourth inning and kept the lead as Thoroughbreds pitching kept the Falcons scoreless the rest of the game.
The Falcons offense was led on Sunday by T.J. Losby, who went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs and RBI.
BG recorded eight errors in the series, bringing their season total to 15 through six games.
BG is now 2-4 in non-conference play, and will take the field next on the road Feb. 26. The Falcons will be on the road again, with their lone game at Dayton and first pitch scheduled at 3 p.m.
