Falcons Swept By Western Michigan On Saturday

Saturday, March 23

Bowling Green, Ohio

12:00 pm

Bowling Green State University

4-14, 0-2

Western Michigan University

6-15, 2-0

Western Michigan

Bowling Green

March 23, 2013 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Box Score: Game One | Game Two

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio—Bowling Green State University and Western Michigan University wrapped up their three-game MAC-opening series on Saturday afternoon, with the Broncos beating the Falcons in both games of the doubleheader by identical 4-3 scores. With the two losses, BGSU falls to 4-15 (0-3 MAC) on the season. The sweep by WMU marks the second straight season in which they have swept the Falcons to open up Mid-American Conference play.

Game One
Western Michigan jumped out to a quick 4-0 start in the first game, knocking out three hits and drawing three walks in the inning. With one out in the first inning and already four runs in, Mike Frank would get the final two Broncos with a fielder's choice and a punch out

After recording those final two outs in the first, Frank would settle in, dominating the next five innings on the mound. Western Michigan would not get another base runner until a one-out hit by pitch in the top of the seventh inning. Frank would allow just one hit after the first inning on Sunday, pitching seven innings and striking out six. Five-of-six strikeouts by Frank on the afternoon were looking, as he had Bronco batters guessing all afternoon.

The Falcons would get a run in the bottom of the first, thanks to a Jeremy Shay two-out double to score Brian Bien. Bien led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, advancing to second on a passed ball.

The Orange and Brown outhit Western Michigan in game one, banging out 12 hits to Western Michigan's four.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Falcons would get two runs on five-straight one-out hits. T.J. Losby would single in Jesse Rait to get the Falcons within 4-2. Matt Pitzulo would deliver with an RBI pinch-hit single to score Bien in the very next at-bat. After seven innings, Bowling Green trailed by just one, at 4-3.

WMU hurler Gabe Berman would retire the final six Falcon batters in order during the final two innings of play to give the Broncos the victory in game one. Berman retired all eight batters he faced on Saturday afternoon for his first save of the season.

Game Two
The second game would start much better for the Falcons, as they jumped ahead early with two runs in the bottom of the first. Pitzulo would come up big once again in the first inning of game two, doubling home the Falcons' first run. Andrew Kubuski would score Pitzulo with a key, two-out single.

Trevor Blaylock cruised through the first two frames, facing the minimum along the way. But in the third, the Falcons' defense would struggle, committing two errors which would lead to three unearned runs scored by WMU.

WMU would add a two-out run in the top of the fifth, thanks to a Steve Buglione RBI single.

In the bottom of the ninth, with the Falcons trailing 4-2, Losby would reach on an error to lead off the inning. Kubuski would beat out a would-be double play ball as the second batter in the inning, his speed forcing an errant throw which traveled into the dugout.

With Kubuski on second and one out, Matt Smith would knock a pinch-hit single through the left side of the infield. Kubuski would stop at second, and the Falcons had runners on the corners with just one out. Western Michigan skipper Billy Gernon would call for reliever Pay Haynes, with Jake Thomas coming to the plate.

Haynes would utilize the third-to-first pickoff move (a move which is now illegal in Major League Baseball), catching Smith off of first base. Smith would stay in the rundown long enough for Kubuski to come home from third, but the bases were cleared with the Falcons down 4-3 and two outs.

Thomas would walk to put the tying run on base, but the game would end on a flyout by the Falcons.

Blaylock's appearance lasted 6.2 innings on Saturday afternoon, as he allowed just one earned run while striking out six. He was tabbed as the tough-luck loser, falling to 0-5 on the season.

The Orange and Brown will be back in action on Tuesday night, when they travel to Dayton to play the Raiders of Wright State. Mid-American Conference play will resume next Friday, when the Falcons travel to Mount Pleasant, Mich. for a matchup with the Central Michigan Chippewas.