MOUNT PLEASANT, MICH. – The Bowling Green State University baseball team picked up a pair of wins over the Central Michigan Chippewas on Friday (March 28), claiming both games of a doubleheader. Connar Penrod came on for the save in both games, pushing him up to a tie for third in program history for single-season saves. With the wins, Bowling Green advances to 19-7 through 26 games this season while being 9-2 within MAC play. BGSU and CMU will have Saturday (March 29) off now due to weather before concluding the series on Sunday (March 30) at 11 a.m. 

In addition to Penrod's saves, Carrson Sova also starred on the mound for the Falcons. Sova tossed a career-high six innings of shutout baseball while striking out a career-high for the Orange and Brown. His game two effort was supplemented by a DJ Newman home run as well as a three-run fifth inning to capture the doubleheader sweep. 

HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 1

• The Falcons didn't waste any time getting started. In the second at-bat of the day, Garrett Wright doubled to left field on the first pitch he saw. DJ Newman replicated the result with a double to right, trading places with Wright for the game's first run and a 1-0 BGSU lead.
• Brady Birchmeier kept the momentum rolling with a single to left field, bringing home Newman for a 2-0 Bowling Green advantage. 
• CMU worked for an out, but the Falcons kept going. Caden Parker knocked a single, setting up a two-RBI double to right center for Gavin Ganun, increasing the lead to 4-0 after the top of the first. 
• In the second inning, Gunner Antillon walked to start the inning. A fielder's choice put TJ Takats on the bases instead before the second Wright double in as many innings placed two Falcons in scoring position. Birchmeier followed with a double to left center, scoring both Takats and Wright for a 6-0 Falcon lead. 
• BGSU added another in the third inning. Ganun was hit by a pitch and moved up on a Brayden Curlis single to left. Takats was able to drop a single into center, scoring Ganun from second for a 7-0 lead, prompting a CMU pitching change in the process. 
• Central Michigan joined the scoring column in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two for a 7-2 score.
• CMU added three in the sixth, cutting the score down to 7-5 through six played, holding the final score.

STAT LEADERS, GAME 1

• Jacob Turner: W (2-1), 5.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R/ER, 4 K
• Ty Roder: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 1 K
• Connar Penrod: SV (6): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER
• Garrett Wright: 3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R
• Brady Birchmeier: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
• Gavin Ganun: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R
• DJ Newman: 1-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB
• Gunner Antillon: 2-for-3, 1 BB
• TJ Takats: 1-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 R

HOW IT HAPPENED, GAME 2

• With two outs in the first inning, DJ Newman belted a solo home run to right field for a 1-0 BGSU lead.
• After three scoreless frames, the Falcons struck again in the fifth. Gunner Antillon doubled and took third on a fly out. Garrett Wright was able to knock a single up the middle, scoring Antillon for a 2-0 advantage. 
• Newman drew a walk before a CMU pitching change. Brady Birchmeier welcomed the new arm with a two-RBI double that brought home both Wright and Newman for a 4-0 BGSU lead.
• Central Michigan got on the board in the eighth inning with three runs for a 4-3 score entering the ninth.

STAT LEADERS, GAME 2

• Carrson Sova: W (2-1), 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 8 K
• Connar Penrod: SV (7), 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER, 2 K
• Gunner Antillon: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 BB
• DJ Newman: 2-for-3, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB
• Brady Birchmeier: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI
• Garrett Wright: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R

FALCON STAT FACTS

• Connar Penrod recorded his sixth and seventh saves of the season, tying him for third all-time in program history for saves in a season. Penrod's number matches three former Falcons, consisting of Nick Burns (2012), Neil Schmitz (2004) and Eric Stachler (1994).
• Carrson Sova got the start in the second game of the doubleheader, going six scoreless innings while striking out a career-high eight.  Prior to the start, Sova's season-high for innings pitched was 2.2. 
• Gunner Antillon logged multiple hits in each game, extending his hitting streak to a now team-high seven games for the Falcons. Antillon now has nine multi-hit games this year, including four in a row. 
• Caden Parker reached base in both games for the Orange and Brown, pushing his on-base streak to a team-best 18 games. 
• Garrett Wright tallied hits in both games for Bowling Green to extend his on-base streak as well, now at 14 games. Wright recorded two doubles in the first game as well, marking his second multi-double game of the year.
• DJ Newman launched his fourth home run of the season for the Falcons and has now has scored in four straight games for BGSU with a total of six over the stretch. 
• Brady Birchmeier tallied a double in each game in addition to five total RBI. Birchmeier's RBI total is now up to 38 on the season, reclaiming his hold on the MAC lead. 
• Picking up the win in the first game, Jacob Turner now has multiple wins in a season for the first time as a Falcon with four over his BGSU career. 

UP NEXT
The Falcons and Chippewas are set to conclude their weekend series on Sunday (March 30), with a newly scheduled 11 a.m. first pitch. Check the baseball schedule at BGSUFalcons.com and @BGSU_Baseball on Twitter/X for updates and changes. 

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