A pair of fifth inning miscues cost the Bowling Green baseball team its first win in two weeks.
After breaking the scoreless tie and getting the lead in the top of the third inning, the Falcons quickly lost it in the bottom of the inning, just to get it right back in the fourth.
Michigan again took the lead by one in the bottom of the inning before putting the game out of reach in the fifth.
“We did some good things today against a good team in Michigan, but we were unable to put together all three phases during the entire nine innings,” said head coach Danny Schmitz.
A strikeout by Jesse Rait to lead off the fifth followed by a bases loaded, inning-ending double play by Brian Bien, kept the game at 3-2 Michigan.
Then, in the bottom of the fifth, Jake Bivens led off with a single to left field. Jackson Glines then flew out to right field, but Bivens advanced to second shortly thereafter on a wild pitch.
This was just the beginning of the daunting inning for the Falcons.
Michigan’s Carmen Benedetti, in the next at bat, lined a ball to Brian Bien, but a throwing error allowed Benedetti to reach base while Bivens trotted home for the Wolverines’ fourth run.
A single followed by a two-RBIs double gave Michigan two more runs, which proved to be too much for the Falcons to overcome.
The Falcons scored once more on a sixth inning RBI double from Randy Righter, but Michigan added two more runs in the bottom of the inning, all but ending the day for BG.
BG collected just one more hit the rest of the way.
In the seventh, the Falcons were put down in order as Justin Mott popped out to second, Kory Brown struck out swinging and Brandon Howard grounded out
to third.
BG had another three-up-three-down inning as Nick Glanzman and Trey Keegan struck out looking before Matt Smith flew out to right to end the inning.
The Falcons showed a slight glimmer of hope in
the ninth.
Greg Basalyga led off with his second double of the game, followed by a Randy Righter walk. But the Falcons would not capitalize.
Hunter Clanin grounded into a double play followed by an Addison Rospert strikeout to end the game.
Rob Zenas was credited with his first loss of the season, surrendering four earned runs in just an inning and a third, after relieving starter Brett Fitzwater.
The Falcons will take their eight-game losing streak back into to Mid-American Conference play in a three-game road series against Northern Illinois.
