BGSU Baseball Claims Extra Innings Win In Walk-Off Fashion
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team recorded their third walk-off win at home this season on Sunday (April 6), taking a 7-6 final in extra innings over the Miami (OH) RedHawks. Connar Penrod tossed three scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Falcons, keeping the game tied to set up extras. Brady Birchmeier delivered the game-winning hit with a single through the right side to score Brayden Curlis. The win pushes BGSU to 21-9 on the season while being 11-4 within the Mid-American Conference.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University baseball team recorded their third walk-off win at home this season on Sunday (April 6), taking a 7-6 final in extra innings over the Miami (OH) RedHawks. Connar Penrod tossed three scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Falcons, keeping the game tied to set up extras. Brady Birchmeier delivered the game-winning hit with a single through the right side to score Brayden Curlis. The win pushes BGSU to 21-9 on the season while being 11-4 within the Mid-American Conference.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The RedHawks scored three runs in the top of the second to move ahead 3-0 with a diving catch by TJ Takats in shallow center ending the inning.
- In the third inning, Sam Seidel reached base for the Falcons on a fielding error before Garrett Wright crushed a home run to left field, a two-run shot for a 3-2 score.
- Gavin Ganun started the bottom of the fourth with a walk for the Falcons, moving up to second on a grounder down the line. Zack Horky was able to trade places with Ganun, lacing a double to the right center wall for a 3-3 tie game.
- With two outs in the fifth inning, the Falcons put together a rally. Brady Birchmeier started it off with a single to right center, taking second on a wild pitch. Caden Parker was able to capitalize with a single to right center as well, scoring Birchmeier for a 4-3 Falcon lead and a Miami pitching change.
- Miami added two runs in the top of the sixth to reclaim the lead with a 5-4 tally. The RedHawks increased their lead with an insurance run in the seventh for a 6-4 score.
- The Falcons answered in the bottom of the seventh. Seidel drew a leadoff walk followed by a Wright single off the left field wall with a double steal moving up both runners. Birchmeier was able to lift a sacrifice fly out to right field, scoring Seidel for a 6-5 score.
- After a pitching change, Ganun stepped in and ripped a double down the third base line to score Wright from second for a 6-6 tie game.
- Coming on in the eighth inning, Connar Penrod produced three scoreless innings for the Falcons as the game went into extra innings.
- In the bottom of the 10th, Brayden Curlis singled through the right side and later stole second for his first career stolen base. A grounder moved Curlis to third. Miami intentionally walked Wright and made a pitching change. Birchmeier took the first pitch from the new pitcher through the right side of the infield, scoring Curlis for the 7-6 walk-off win.
STAT LEADERS
- Connar Penrod: W (3-1), 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R/ER, 3 K
- Ty Roder: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R/ER, 1 K
- Garrett Wright: 3-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 SB
- Brady Birchmeier: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 R
- Gavin Ganun: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB
- Gunner Antillon: 2-for-4, 1 2B
- Zack Horky: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
- TJ Takats: 1-for-6, 1 2B
FALCON STAT FACTS
- Connar Penrod tossed three scoreless innings for BGSU, coming on in the eighth. The outing not only was Penrod's longest of the season, but the longest since going 3.1 innings against Ohio on March 10, 2023. Penrod's efforts earned him the win, his third of the season to tie him for the team lead.
- Garrett Wright logged the first hit for the Falcons with a single in the first inning. The hit extended Wright's hitting streak to a team-high seven games while pushing his on-base streak to 18 games. He finished with a team-high three hits.
- Wright also clubbed his second home run of the weekend, scoring twice in the game. Wright has now scored in seven straight games for BGSU as well as 17 of the last 18 games. During the 18-game stretch, he's scored 30 times, including 12 times over the last seven.
- Caden Parker knocked an RBI single in the fifth inning to extend his on-base streak to a team-leading 22 games, the longest streak by a Falcon this year.
- Brady Birchmeier tallied his second multi-hit game of the weekend and registered two more RBI, increasing his season total to a team-leading 40.
- Sam Seidel drew two walks in the game, stole a base and scored twice for the Falcons. Seidel has reached base multiple times in three of BGSU's last four games. He now has eight stolen bases on the year, second behind only DJ Newman.
UP NEXT
The Falcons will have a midweek contest against Youngstown State at 5 p.m. on Wednesday (April 9) before heading to Kalamazoo for a weekend series against Western Michigan. Check the baseball schedule at BGSUFalcons.com and @BGSU_Baseball on Twitter/X for updates and changes.
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