The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Bowling Green
Baseball Drops Saturday Matchup to Bowling Green, 11-5
April 19 | Baseball
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AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron (20-16, 9-5 MAC) baseball team fell in game two of the three-game Mid-American Conference series to Bowling Green State University (15-19, 7-7 MAC) by a final score of 11-5 on Saturday afternoon at Lee R. Jackson Field.
Sophomore right-hander JT Brubaker started on the hill for the Zips, and turned in 4.1 innings with three hits, two earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts. Brubaker was handed the loss, evening his season record to 3-3.
Akron and Bowling Green traded scoreless frames through the third inning. However, the Falcons offense came alive in the top of the fourth for a three-run rally. BGSU's Trey Keegan, Patrick Lancaster, and Brandon Howard each had RBI in the inning.
Following the three-run fourth for Bowling Green, the Falcons continued to pad their lead with a one-run fifth and a two-run sixth inning, which would increase the lead to 6-0 after six full.
Redshirt freshman Evan Jensen came on in relief with one away in the sixth, following Joe Cochran's lone inning of relief. Jensen held the game at the 6-0 BGSU lead in the sixth and seventh inning, which allowed the Zips to cut the lead in half with three runs in the seventh.
Redshirt junior Devan Ahart reached base to lead off the inning on an error by BGSU right fielder Jesse Rait, and was driven in by freshman Brian Lees on a line drive single to center. Lees was later able to score on a throwing error by BGSU pitcher Devin Daugherty. Senior Grant Alvarez capped off the rally on a RBI groundout to second, scoring Kris Simonton and minimizing the Bowling Green lead to 6-3.
Jensen tossed a scoreless eighth, but the Bowling Green offense got to him in the ninth for a five-run rally. The righty finished the afternoon with 3.0 innings, five hits, and four runs. Redshirt junior Andrew Fanning came on to finish off the inning, despite allowing three base hits and a run.
Akron was able to score two runs in the ninth, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Bowling Green lead. Cale Giddings had a RBI groundout and Meeker hit a RBI single through the right side to bring the game to its final score of 11-5.
Overall Akron totaled 10 base hits, four RBI and eight walks in the contest. James Sheltrown went 2-for-3 with two walks, while Lees had two runs, two hits, one RBI and a walk. Six different Akron batters recorded hits in the loss. Ahart registered his team-leading 19th stolen base against Bowling Green on Saturday.
The Zips and Falcons will wrap up the weekend series on Sunday at Lee Jackson Field at 1 p.m. Right-hander Myles McVeigh is scheduled to start for Akron.
Admission to all Akron home games is free of charge. Live stats and a video stream will be available through GoZips.com.
