Falcons Walk It Off For Second Time This Week To Extend Winning Streak To 11
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team claimed their second walk-off win of the week on Friday (March 21) to start the weekend series against Kent State, winning 11-10. The win marks 11-straight for the Falcons, just the sixth time in program history with at least 11 consecutive wins. It also moves BGSU to 7-0 in the MAC for the second-straight season and the third time in program history. Additionally, the Falcons are now 16-5, tied for the second-best record in program history through 21 games. The Falcons and Golden Flashes will keep the series going on Saturday (March 22) with a now 2 p.m. scheduled start.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team claimed their second walk-off win of the week on Friday (March 21) to start the weekend series against Kent State, winning 11-10. The win marks 11-straight for the Falcons, just the sixth time in program history with at least 11 consecutive wins. It also moves BGSU to 7-0 in the MAC for the second-straight season and the third time in program history. Additionally, the Falcons are now 16-5, tied for the second-best record in program history through 21 games. The Falcons and Golden Flashes will keep the series going on Saturday (March 22) with a now 2 p.m. scheduled start.
Kent State jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a run in the first and two more in the third before a TJ Takats home run put Bowling Green on the board in the third. Brady Birchmeier started the fourth inning with a solo shot before a two-run Gavin Ganun homer and another run later in the frame pushed BGSU to a 5-3 lead. Kent State responded with one in the fifth and two in the sixth to reclaim the lead, but a BGSU sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth tied the game at 6-6. The Golden Flashes posted four runs in the top of the seventh, taking a 10-6 lead, however, a three-run bottom half for the Falcons, jump started by a DJ Newman home run, pulled them within one. Another sacrifice fly for Bowling Green tied the game in the eighth before Takats put a ball in play with two outs in the ninth, resulting in a fielding error and Gunner Antillon scoring for the walk-off victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Kent State started the scoring in the top of the first, hitting a solo home run in the second at-bat of the game with the strong winds to center carrying the ball just beyond the fence.
- In the bottom half, Garrett Wright logged the first BGSU hit of the day with a single to left center, but it remained the only mark in the inning for a 1-0 score after one.
- The Golden Flashes added a two-run home run in the third inning, stretching their lead to 3-0.
- TJ Takats put the Falcons on the board in the bottom of the third, launching a solo home run to right field for a 3-1 score.
- Another solo home run for the Orange and Brown, this one off the bat of Brady Birchmeier in the fourth, pulled the Falcons within one, 3-2.
- The Falcons kept it going in the inning with a Caden Parker single up the middle. After an out was recorded, Gavin Ganun sent an absolute moon shot to center, soaring over the wall for a two-run home run and 4-3 BGSU lead.
- Bowling Green wasn't done in the inning just yet. Gunner Antillon reached on a fielding error followed by a walk to Takats. Wright stepped in and delivered a single through the left side of the infield, scoring Antillon from second for a 5-3 tally.
- Kent State added one in the top of the fifth to bring the score back to a one-run game at 5-4.
- The Golden Flashes tied the game up in the sixth before moving in front for a 6-5 score.
- Bowling Green's answer came in the bottom half of the sixth. Antillon doubled into right center before a Takats bloop single to shallow center put runners at the corners. A sacrifice fly from Wright was enough to score Antillon, tying the game at 6-6 through six.
- Kent State pushed back in front with four runs in the top of the seventh, making it a 10-6 tally.
- The Falcons quickly responded again. DJ Newman began the bottom of the seventh with a home run to right center for BGSU, starting a three-run inning for the Orange and Brown.
- Birchmeier reached on a fielding error followed by a Seidel walk to put two on the Falcons. A grounder moved up both runners before a wild pitch scored Birchmeier. Ganun was able to send a single through the right side of the infield, scoring Seidel for a 10-9 score through seven innings.
- In the eighth, the Falcons knotted it up. Back-to-back singles from Takats and Wright started the inning with a fielder's choice from Newman putting Wright at second and Newman at first. A fly out from Birchmeier moved both runners up with a wild pitch scoring Wright for a 10-10 score.
- With two outs in the ninth, Bowling Green found momentum. Antillon doubled to the left center gap, putting himself in scoring position. Takats followed with a ball in play to second, but a Kent State fielding error and hustle on the base paths was enough for Antillon to slide into home for the 11-10 walk-off win.
STAT LEADERS
- Nate Kress: W (2-0), 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 2 K
- TJ Takats: 3-for-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
- Gunner Antillon: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 3 R, 1 SB
- Garrett Wright: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 R
- Gavin Ganun: 2-for-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R
- Brady Birchmeier: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 RBI
- DJ Newman: 1-for-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R
- Sam Seidel: 1-for-2, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 SB
- Caden Parker: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB
FALCON STAT FACTS
- The win moves BGSU to 16-5 on the season, just the third time in program history with a record of 16-5 or better through 21 games. The start matches the 1976 season that was also 16-5 and only trails the 1944 campaign that started 19-2.
- Bowling Green has now won 11-straight games for just the sixth time in program history and the first time since 2010. The winning streak joins the ranks of the 2010, 1977 and 1944 teams for 11-straight and trails only the 2008 team's 12 wins and the 1976 team's 13 wins in program history.
- Within MAC play, the Orange and Brown are now 7-0 for the second time in as many seasons and only the third time in program history. Only the 2025, 2024 and 1995 teams have recorded a 7-0 start in MAC play.
- Nate Kress picked up the win on the mound for the Falcons, his second of the season, both coming at home. Kress now has four straight shutout appearances, totaling 8.2 innings of work with seven strikeouts.
- TJ Takats homered in the third inning for the Falcons, his third home run in as many games this week. All of Takats' home runs this season have not only come at home, but have come this week. He's also now in the midst of a six-game hitting streak with four multi-hit games over that span.
- Brady Birchmeier belted his team-leading seventh home run of the season in the fourth inning, increasing his RBI total to a MAC-best 30 and giving him a home run in each of the last three games he's played in. The long ball also extended Birchmeier's on-base streak to 20 games going back to last season.
- DJ Newman hit a home run in the seventh inning for the Falcons, extending his hitting streak to a team-best nine games and his on-base streak to 16. Newman has also scored in six-straight games with 12 runs scored over the six-game stretch.
- Entering the day with three doubles on the season, Gunner Antillon logged two for the Falcons, including a key two-out double in the ninth that led to the game-winning run. He also scored a season-high three times and has a hit in 10 of his last 11 games played.
- Gavin Ganun crushed his fourth home run of the season in the fourth inning, giving him two for the week. Ganun finished with two hits for BGSU, his fifth multi-hit game of the season. He also tallied three RBI in the contest, his third game with three or more RBIs.
- Garrett Wright scored for the game-tying run for the Falcons in the eighth inning, marking 10 straight games he has scored for BGSU. Over that stretch, Wright has scored 18 times for the Orange and Brown and has a hit in nine of the 10 games as well.
- Caden Parker drew a walk in the second inning, extending his on-base streak to 13 games for Bowling Green while also drawing at least one walk in six consecutive games.
- Sam Seidel continued a hot stretch at the plate, drawing a season-high three walks in addition to a hit. Seidel now has a five-game hitting streak and has scored seven times in the last three games.
UP NEXT
Bowling Green and Kent State will continue their series on Saturday (March 22), now with a 2 p.m. start, changed from the original time. Saturday will have a Orel Hershiser bobblehead giveaway to the first 200 fans. As for Sunday (March 23), first pitch is currently scheduled for 1 p.m.. Stay up-to-date with changes on the BGSU Baseball Twitter/X page as well as BGSUFalcons.com.
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