Basalyga Doubles Twice In Falcons 8-3 Setback At Michigan

Tuesday, March 24

Ann Arbor, MI

4:00 p.m. ET

Bowling Green State University

5-14

Michigan

12-11

Bowling Green

Michigan

March 24, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

By: by Scott Swegan, BGSU Athletic Communications

Final Statistics: HTML | PDF

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—The Bowling Green State University baseball team jumped out to an early lead at University of Michigan on Tuesday afternoon, but could not hold on as the Wolverines got past the Falcons, 8-3. The game, which was the 2015 home opener for Michigan, was held at Ray Fisher Stadium at the Wilpon Baseball Complex. With the win, Michigan improves to 12-11 on the season, while the Falcons fall to 5-14 on the year with the loss.

"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," head coach Danny Schmitz said. "We need to keep getting better and working hard every day, continuing to improve in all three phases. This weekend is a big series as we travel to play a very solid NIU team on the road."

For the 11th time already this season, Bowling Green scored first. However, much like the rest of the season, the Falcons were unable to hold onto that early lead in the loss. In the top of the third, after being held hitless for the first two frames, Jesse Rait got the Falcons into the hit column with a leadoff single. Two batters later, Rait scored on an RBI double by Sparta, Mich. native Kory Brown to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead.

That lead was short-lived, as Michigan came right back at the Falcons with two runs of their own to grab a third-inning lead. After a leadoff single and a walk, both runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. A groundout and single each scored a run following the wild pitch, giving the Wolverines a lead after three.

The Falcons wouldn't fold, as Matt Smith reached base on a fielder's choice in the fourth and then scored on a double by Greg Basalyga.

Michigan then took the lead for good with four runs over the next two innings, including a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth to grab a 3-2 advantage. The Wolverines then got four hits, a wild pitch, and benefitted from a Bowling Green error to take a 6-2 lead after five innings.

With two outs in the top of the sixth Basalyga walked to give the Falcons some life. West Bloomfield, Mich. native Randy Righter made the Wolverines pay as he doubled into the gap to score Basalyga from first and inch the Falcons ever closer, at 6-3.

The key play came in the bottom of the sixth, as the Falcons needed to keep the deficit at three if they were going to have any chance at a comeback attempt on Tuesday. It looked as if they might do just that, as the Orange and Brown had two outs with two Wolverines on the base paths. However, a big two-out double in the left-centerfield gap scored two and made it an 8-3 ballgame.

Trailing by five runs, Basalyga started an attempted comeback with his second double of the day to begin the top of the ninth inning. After a walk to Righter, Michigan stopped the comeback with a double-play and strikeout to end the game.

All three of the Falcons' Michigan natives saw action in Tuesday's game, as both Brown and Righter had RBI doubles for the Falcons, while Ann Arbor native Rob Zenas pitched 1.1 innings for BGSU.

The Falcons (5-14) will now travel to Northern Illinois for a three-game weekend series beginning on Friday afternoon in DeKalb, Ill. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET/3:05 p.m. CT, while Saturday and Sunday are slated for 2:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. CT first pitches.