May 5, 2008

Final Stats

ATHENS, Ohio - The Falcon bullpen tossed six and a 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, allowing a single Bobcat hit on Sunday, helping the Bowling Green State University baseball team earn a, 3-2, 7-5, doubleheader sweep of Ohio University in games two and three of three-game weekend series. The Sunday afternoon Mid-American Conference games were held at OU's Bob Wren Stadium.

With the two victories, the Falcons earned their second MAC weekend sweep of the season and their first series sweep of the Bobcats in Athens since 1976. BG now stands 23-18 overall and 10-8 in the MAC, while OU fell to 20-27 overall and 9-12, respectively.

After tying a school record with eight homers in Saturday's win, the big story on Sunday was the Falcon pitching staff. Brett Browning, Dusty Hawk and Brennan Smith combined to allow a single hit in six and 1/3 innings in relief of starters Kevin Light and Kevin Leady as they answered the bell time after time in key spots.

Browning, who tossed an inning of scoreless relief, would earn two saves on the day for his second and third of the season. The Cincinnati native surrendered just a single hit on the day as he got OU slugger Marc Krauss to fly out to right field for the final out in each contest.

Browning was setup up in each game by outstanding middle relief efforts by Hawk and Smith, who combined for a total of five and 1/3 innings of scoreless and hitless relief. Hawk went three and 1/3 innings in game two, while Smith went an even two innings in game one.

Leading the way at the plate for BG on the day was junior shortstop Ryan Shay, who went 5-for-8 and accounted for one run scored. Adding a team-best three RBI in the two games then were junior first baseman Brian Hangbers and junior captain Travis Owens. Hangbers went 2-for-8 with a homer and the three runs driven in, while Owens went a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBI.

Game 1 Recap (Bowling Green 3, Ohio 2)

A three-run first inning homer by Brian Hangbers would be all the offense the Falcons needed in game one, as the pitching staff took care of the rest.

Junior left-hander Kevin Light was brilliant in his ninth start of the year, tossing six and 2/3 innings on way to his third win, moving his record to 3-3. The Mechanicsville, Va. native gave up just two runs on eight hits and had one strikeout, as he walked just two OU hitters.

Backing up Light was freshman Brennan Smith, who like Light, was outstanding in two innings of relief. The Sandusky, Ohio product faced six batters and sat down each one of them in order to setup Brett Browning for his first save of day.

Leading the way at the dish in game one for BG would be Ryan Shay, who collected multiple-hit game number 25 and later number 26 of the season in game two. He finished 2-for-3 in the game and scored a run, while Hangbers accounted for all three Falcon RBI.

Getting saddled with the loss for OU was starter Zach Elmer (3-3). Elmer went six and 1/3 innings, but gave up three Falcon runs on seven hits as he finished with three strikeouts. He was replaced in the seventh by reliever Kevin Mementowski, who gave up a single hit in the final two and 2/3 innings.

The Falcons would need just three plays to give them enough runs to win the game, as they jumped on Elmer right out of the gates. BG's big first inning started when Shay led-off the game with a single to left center, before Andrew Foster followed him with a bunt single to put two on with no outs.

That brought Hangbers to the plate, who proceeded to work Elmer into a full count at 3-2, before changing the game with one swing. The Hamilton, Ohio native took Elmer's 3-2 pitch and belted it deep over the fence in left field for his ninth homer of the season and second of the weekend, as the Falcons took an early 3-0 lead.

OU tried to come back, plating a single run in the second and seventh innings, but that would be all they could muster on BG's hurlers.

Pacing the Bobcats in game one were catcher Chris Klimko who was 3-for-4 at the plate and third baseman Brandon Besl, who was the only other OU hitter with multiple-hits, going 2-for-4. Collecting RBI for the Bobcats in the game were Matt Stiffler and Robert Maddox III.

Game 2 Recap (Bowling Green 7, Ohio 5)

Unlike game one, there was a little more offense from the Falcons in Sunday's second game as BG recorded seven runs on 15 hits to earn a come-from-behind victory. BG trailed 4-1 entering the fourth and 5-3 entering the fifth, before it exploded for three runs in the fifth and a one in the sixth to take a 7-5 lead.

That score would hold up thanks again to a superb effort from BG's bullpen. After starter Kevin Leady worked a solid five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits, Dusty Hawk stymied OU's offense as he didn't allow a single Bobcat hitter to reach base. The right-hander from Tipp City, worked three and 1/3 innings, sitting down all nine OU hitters he faced, while recording one strikeout.

His performance put Brett Browning in line for save number two of the day in the ninth, who recorded the game's final two outs.

Leady (3-4) was credited with the win, while OU starter Matt Smith took the loss, moving his record to 4-2. Smith went five innings for the Bobcats, as he surrendered six runs (three earned) on ten hits.

Down 4-1 entering the fourth, BG got a back in the game in large part to junior captain Travis Owens. Frank Berry singled with one out and was followed by Mark Galvin, who doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third for Owens. The catcher from Convoy, Ohio then drove them both in with an RBI-double to left center to bring BG within one.

Owens finished tied with Ryan Shay in the game for a game-high three hits and led BG with three RBI. Owens was a perfect 3-for-3, while Shay was 3-for-5.

OU answered back with a single run in the bottom half of the inning, before the BG bats awoke again., exploding for three runs in the fifth. Logan Meisler belted an RBI-single to center in the inning and later scored the go-ahead run on sacrifice fly from Berry, shortly after Dennis Vaughn tied the game with an RBI-groundout that scored Derek Spencer from third.

The scored stayed that way in the bottom half of the inning as a great catch in left field by Vaughn to end the inning may have saved at least two runs from scoring.

Andrew Foster picked up an RBI-single then in the sixth to give the Falcons a 7-5 cushion, which they held onto to earn the victory.

Leading OU at the plate in defeat was third baseman Brandon Besl, who went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Collecting a team-best three RBI was Robert Maddox III.

BG will return to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon (May 6) when they host the Eastern Michigan Eagles in a non-conference tilt at Warren E. Steller Field. First pitch between the Falcons and Eagles is scheduled for 3 p.m. in game one of a two-game mid-week home-and-home series. Game two of the series will take place Wednesday night at EMU's Oestrike Stadium, starting at 6 p.m. Live statistics for both games will be available at www.bgsufalcons.com.