TOLEDO – Bowling Green State University baseball te began the Battle of I-75 on Wednesday at Scott Park, the first of four games against the rival Rockets.
BGSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring a run in the first and second innings, but the University of Toledo battled back to begin a back-and-forth game. The Falcons were able to reclaim the lead with a three-run top of the seventh, but UT responded with six in the bottom half, leading to a 12-7 final.
HOW IT HAPPENED
DJ Newman started the game off with a single up the middle to center field for the Falcons. Newman moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sam Seidel. With Newman in scoring position, Nathan Rose delivered a double down the left field line, scoring Newman to put BGSU up 1-0 in the first inning.
In the bottom half of the first, the Rockets logged a double off the right field wall, missing a home run by inches, but the BGSU pitching was able to work out of the inning with the 1-0 BGSU lead intact.
Tyler Ross began the second inning with a solo blast, increasing the BGSU lead to 2-0.
A bases-loaded hit by pitch in the bottom of the second brought across the first Toledo run of the game to cut the score to 2-1 before a BGSU pitching change. Nic Good got a fly out to center to end the inning.
The Rockets added to their tally in the bottom of the third, scoring two to move out in front 3-2 through three played.
The BGSU response came in the top of the fourth. Cooper McKenzie walked to begin the inning. Later in the frame, Newman doubled off the right field wall to put runners on second and third. Kyle Gurney was able to get a double to fall in center field, scoring both McKenzie and Newman to put the Falcons back on top 4-3.
A two-run home run for Toledo in the bottom of the fourth swung the score back to UT at 5-4.
In the top of the seventh, Nathan Archer and Ross knocked back-to-back singles. Justin Fugitt stepped in and saw a full count with 10 pitches, taking the 10th through the right side of the infield for an RBI single, knotting the game up at 5-5.
With Fugitt at second and Ross at third, Ryan Johnston sent a hard-hit single up the middle, scoring both runners to push the Falcons back on top 7-5.
Toledo answered in the bottom half of the inning with six runs to take an 11-7 lead.
An RBI double in the eighth stretched the score to the 12-7 final.
STAT LEADERS
Tyler Ross: 3-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 SB
DJ Newman: 4-for-6, 1 2B, 2 R
Kyle Gurney: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB
Ryan Johnston: 1-for-5, 2 RBI
Nathan Rose: 1-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Cooper McKenzie: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 EBI, 1 R, 1BB
Justin Fugitt: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
Nathan Archer: 1-for-5, 1 R
FALCON STAT FACTS
DJ Newman began the game with a single to center field and finished with four hits, continuing a five-game hitting streak and an eight-game on-base streak. During the on-base streak, Newman is batting .467 (14-for-30) with 11 runs scored, nine walks drawn, four RBI, three doubles, two stolen bases and a home run. Newman has also logged 11 hits over the last five games.
In the first inning, Nathan Rose doubled down the left field line, his 14th of the season to tie his career-high for doubles in a single season.
With his home run in the second inning, Tyler Ross belted his second home run of the season to stretch his on-base streak to 10 games. Ross reached base in all five of his plate appearances, logging three hits and drawing two walks.
Nathan Archer sent a ball back up the middle in the top of the seventh for a single, extending his on-base streak to now 10 games.
Registering a double in the second inning, Cooper McKenzie tallied his first multi-base hit at the collegiate level.
UP NEXT
The Falcons will return home to Steller Field this weekend for a three-game series against the Ball State Cardinals. The series is set to begin Friday with a 3 p.m. first pitch before 1 p.m. starts on Saturday and Sunday.
