BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team rallied from behind three times on Wednesday (May 7), taking the lead for good in the sixth inning and going on to a 9-7 win over Butler University in non-conference action at Steller Field.

Freshman Carter Mottice singled to score sophomore Garrett Sloan with the go-ahead run in that sixth frame, giving the Falcons (31-16) an 8-7 lead. Junior Zack Horky gave BGSU some insurance with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly that allowed Sloan to score again in the eighth.

Sloan, sophomore Garrett Wright and senior Gavin Ganun each scored two runs in the win. Freshman CJ Boudreaux, the fourth of six BGSU pitchers, picked up his first collegiate victory, and after junior Ty Roder and redshirt freshman Titus Lotz each threw a scoreless inning, senior Connar Penrod worked a 1-2-3 ninth frame for his 12th save of the season.

Wright and Ganun each homered in Wednesday's win.

For the Bulldogs (14-34), Danny Barbero went 4-for-5 with a homer, two runs and four RBI, while Logan Crock was 4-for-4. Butler had a 14-6 advantage in the hits department, but BG batters drew a total of nine walks in the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Bulldogs broke on top early, with a three-run first inning. AJ Solomon singled against BGSU starter Luke Krouse to begin the game, and Ryan Drumm followed with an RBI double, although Drumm was out trying to stretch the hit into a triple.
• After an infield error, Danny Barbero homered to give BU an early 3-0 lead.
• BGSU's first baserunner of the game came when Cooper McKenzie drew a walk to lead off the third inning. McKenzie advanced to second on a wild pitch by Butler starter Jack Griffiths, but the Bulldogs got out of the inning still holding that 3-0 lead.
• After walking a batter to begin the top of the second inning, Krouse retired the next six hitters, before Logan Crock singled up the middle to start the fourth.
• Ian Choi then drew a walk, and Gunnar Duncan's sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third with just one out. Krouse, however, proceeded to strike out Solomon before getting Drumm to hit a fly ball to right for the third out.
• Griffiths faced the minimum through three innings, and did not allow a hit during that time. But, BGSU proceeded to bat around in the fourth, scoring five times.
• Garrett Wright got the barrage started, leading off the inning with a homer to left to get the hosts on the scoreboard. The round-tripper was Wright's eight of the year, tying him for the team lead.
• One out later, Gavin Ganun drew a walk, and after he took second on a wild pitch, Zack Horky singled to put runners at the corners. A failed pickoff attempt by Griffiths allowed Ganun to score and make it a one-run game.
• Brayden Curlis walked, and after a strikeout produced the second out, McKenzie walked – his second free pass in as many innings – on four pitches to load the bases. Then, Brock Amelung was hit by a pitch, allowing Horky to trot home with the tying run and prompting a Butler pitching change.
• Christian Finnigan entered the game for the Bulldogs, but Garrett Sloan battled back from a 1-2 count to earn a bases-loaded walk, scoring Curlis to give the Falcons a 4-3 lead.
• Wright came to the plate for the second time in the inning and was hit by a pitch, scoring McKenzie. The Bulldogs went back to the bullpen, and Alex Thomas, the third pitcher of the inning, got a ground ball back to the mound for the third out.
• The visitors retook the lead in the top of the fifth. Jack Moroknek led off the inning with a double off of BGSU reliever Cade Arn, and scored on a Barbero single. Then, singles by pinch-hitter Tommy Townsend and Keegan Connors loaded the bases, before a base hit by Crock tied the game. BU forged ahead as another run scored on a groundout by Harry Carr. Arn struck out Duncan on three pitches, then got Solomon to fly out.
• That Butler lead did not last long, as Ganun led off the bottom of the fifth with an opposite-field homer, tying the game at 6-6.
• The momentum swings continued, as BU went back in front in the sixth. Drumm was hit by a CJ Boudreaux pitch, and wound up scoring on a Barbero single.
• BGSU answered with some two-out magic in the bottom of the inning. After Thomas got two quick outs, Sloan singled and Wright was hit by a pitch. Then, Carter Mottice singled to left, scoring Sloan.
• Colin Dailey came on to pitch for BU. After Mottice stole second, Ganun was intentionally walked, but it was followed up with an 'unintentional' walk to give BG the lead, as Horky drew a free pass that plated Wright.
• Ty Roder pitched a scoreless seventh inning, retiring three batters in a row after allowing an infield single to begin the frame. In the eighth, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with two outs, but Titus Lotz got pinch-hitter Jack Bello to fly out to center.
• Sloan walked to begin the BG eighth, and took third on Wright's double. After Ganun walked to load the bases, Horky's fly ball to center gave the Falcons an insurance run, as Sloan tagged and scored on the sac fly to put BG up by two.
• Connar Penrod worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out Carr before getting back-to-back ground balls to Ganun at first base.

STAT LEADERS

• Garrett Wright: 2-for-3, 2B, HR, 2 HBP, 2 R, 2 RBI
• Gavin Ganun: 1-for-2, HR, 2 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB
• Zack Horky: 1-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI, BB, SF
• Garrett Sloan: 1-for-2, 2 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB
• Carter Mottice: 1-for-5, 1 RBI, SB
• Ty Roder: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER
• Titus Lotz: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K
• Connar Penrod: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, Sv.

FALCON STAT FACTS

• Garrett Wright extended his on-base streak to 35 games with his homer in the fourth. It was also the first Falcon long ball hit since TJ Takats on April 19 against Ball State (nine games).
• Zack Horky extended his own on-base streak to 17 games. Additionally, he now has a 10-game hitting streak.
• During the 17-game on-base streak, Horky has tallied 24 hits, 21 RBI and 13 runs scored, along with eight walks.
• CJ Boudreaux recorded his first career win, as the freshman logged an inning of work. Boudreaux was the fourth of six BG pitchers on the day. the entire sixth inning.
• Connar Penrod picked up his 12th save of the season, extending his own school record. No other player in school history had more than eight saves in a season prior to Penrod's 2025 campaign.
• Penrod now has 13 career saves, and has moved past Jeremy Spezia (12 saves from 2018-22) into sole possession of fourth place on the BGSU career saves list.
• Wright scored two runs in Wednesday's win, bringing his season total to a team-leading 57 runs scored. He has moved into sole possession of ninth place on that list. Wright's next target is eighth-place Corey Loomis, who scored 61 runs in the 2002 season. Aric Christman (73 runs in 2001) holds the school record.

UP NEXT
The Falcons will take on Notre Dame this weekend as their stretch of non-conference games continues. BGSU and the Fighting Irish will play Friday and Saturday (May 9-10) in South Bend before the series moves to Steller Field on Sunday (May 11). Friday is set for a 6:30 p.m. start, Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Any changes will be announced on BGSUFalcons.com as well as the BGSU_Baseball Twitter/X page.

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