DAYTON, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team played their first midweek game of the season Tuesday (March 5), topping Dayton in seven innings with a 14-4 final score. The Falcons and Flyers traded runs through the first four innings, entering the fifth with a 4-4 tie. In the top of the fifth, Bowling Green erupted for eight runs before adding another in both the sixth and the seventh to capture the run-rule win. BGSU is now 6-5 on the season and will enter the conference schedule this weekend above .500 for the first time since 2008.

Sam Seidel led the way for the Falcons with a pair of home runs, resulting in five RBI for the second baseman. Brady Birchmeier contributed a home run of his own along with three RBI. In total, eight different Falcons logged a hit, seven scored a run, five scored multiple runs and five tallied RBI in the victory. As for on the mound, Carrson Sova registered his first career start while Luke Krouse picked up his second win of the season in addition to strong bullpen outings from Nate Kress and Kade Arn.  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• With two outs in the first, DJ Newman logged the first hit of the game with a single through the right side of the infield. 
• In the bottom of the first, Dayton scored the first runs of the game, scoring a pair for a 2-0 lead.
• The Falcons answered in the second. Caden Parker and Sam Seidel both drew walks to start the inning. A single through the left side for Gavin Ganun scored Parker for the first BGSU run.
• Brayden Curlis was able to lay down a sacrifice bunt, moving both runners up. A walk to Chase Chopin loaded the bases for the Falcons as the lineup turned over with one out, but BGSU wasn't able to get another across in the inning. 
• Dayton responded with one in the second to push the score to 3-1 through two frames. 
• Brady Birchmeier kept it going for the Falcons with a double in the third inning. Caden Parker found a gap in the left side for a single, putting runners at the corners. A wild pitch allowed Birchmeier to come home.
• Sam Seidel rolled the momentum into a two-run blast to deep center. The home run put the Falcons in front 4-3 and prompted a Dayton pitching change.
• In the bottom of the third, Dayton had a leadoff double. A sacrifice fly was meant to advance the runner, but he left early and was doubled up on the play for two outs in the inning. A strikeout ended the inning with the Falcons up 4-3.
• Dayton scored one in the bottom of the fourth to knot it up at 4-4.
• In the fifth, Birchmeier and Parker both singled to put two on for the Falcons. Seidel stepped in and delivered his second home run of the day, this time a three-run home run, for a 7-4 BGSU advantage. 
• Ganun followed the Seidel home run with a double to center. He was joined by Chopin and Gunner Antillon who both drew walks to load the bases. After a pitching change, Garrett Wright hit a sacrifice fly to score Ganun.
• With two outs, Brock Amelung connected on a double, his first collegiate hit, scoring both Chopin and Antillon. Birchmeier then hit a two-run home run in the next at-bat to push the lead to 12-4 with four of the runs crossing with two outs on the board.
• The Falcons went back to work in the sixth. Chopin singled before an Antillon double clanged off the wall to put two in scoring position with no outs. Wright put a ball in play, scoring Chopin for a 13-4 score.
• In the seventh, Ganun and Curlis drew walks. Ganun took third on a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch for a 14-4 BGSU advantage and eventual final. 

STAT LEADERS

• Sam Seidel: 2-for-3, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
• Brady Birchmeier: 3-for-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1BB
• Caden Parker: 2-for-2, 3 R, 3 BB
• Gavin Ganun: 3-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB
• Chase Chopin: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 SB
• Brock Amelung: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R
• Gunner Antillon: 1-for-5, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 BB
• Luke Krouse: W (2-0), 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 3 K
• Kade Arn: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R/ER
• Nate Kress: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 3 K

FALCON STAT FACTS

• With the win, the Falcons will enter MAC play this upcoming weekend with a 6-5 record, marking the first time since 2008 that BGSU will begin the conference schedule above .500. 
• The win marks the first for Bowling Green over Dayton since April 3, 2019 and the first on the road at Dayton since Feb. 28, 2012. 
• Sam Seidel's third inning home run marked his first of the season and the first for the Falcons since Feb. 23 against USC Upstate. He later added another in the fifth for the second multi-home run game by a Falcon this season after Gavin Ganun had two against MTSU on Feb. 15. 
• Seidel ended the game with five RBI, the most by a Falcon in a game this season and the first with five RBI since Jack Krause last year on May 23 against Miami (OH). 
• Brady Birchmeier doubled in the third inning to keep his hitting streak and on-base streak alive. His hitting streak is now at a team-best 11 games, logging at least one hit in each game so far this year. As for his on-base streak, it's now at 13 games going back to last season. 
• Birchmeier added his third home run of the season, giving him a new career-high for a single-season after hitting two last year. Birchmeier now has a team-leading 15 RBI. 
• In the at-bat immediately following Birchmeier's double in the third, Caden Parker extended his on-base streak as well for the Falcons with a single, now up to five games. Parker also drew a career-high three walks in the game. 
• Ganun logged his second three-hit game of the season, scoring twice in the game for the second time this year as well. 
• Borck Amelung hit a two-out double to right in the fifth inning for his first collegiate hit. It also marked his first multi-RBI game as a Falcon. 
• Chase Chopin also logged his first collegiate hit, ripping a single to right in the sixth inning. Chopin stole his first base and tallied his first game scoring multiple times.
• Luke Krouse picked up his second win out of the bullpen this season, striking out three over two scoreless innings. He now has three career wins after picking up one last season.

UP NEXT
Bowling Green will transition to MAC play this upcoming weekend, taking on the Ohio Bobcats in Athens, Ohio for a three-game weekend series. Friday (March 7) is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch followed by a 2 p.m. start on Saturday (March 8) and 1 p.m. on Sunday (March 9). The Falcons are also nearing their home opener, set for Tuesday, March 11 when BGSU hosts Tiffin University for a 3 p.m. start at Steller Field. 

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