BOX SCORE

PLAY-BY-PLAY

RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University baseball team fell to Bowling Green State, 11-9, on Friday afternoon in the first game of this weekend’s three-game series. With the game tied 4-4 heading into the seventh, the Falcons rallied for five runs to break the game wide open, and the Colonels could not recover.

Junior right-hander Stephen Hefler (1-1) started on the hill for EKU and received the loss, going six innings and allowing six runs (only four of which were earned) on eight hits.

Brennan Smith (1-2) picked up the loss for BGSU, working six innings and surrendering four runs on six hits.

In his first game back from injury, junior Richie Allen led the Colonels offensively with two hits and a team-best five RBI. Sophomore Jacob Daniel also collected two hits and drove in two runs, while senior Anthony Ottrando went 2-for-3 on the day with an RBI and three runs scored.

The Falcons were paced at the plate by Ryan Schlater, who went a perfect 3-for-3 on the afternoon with an RBI and a run scored. Logan Meisler, Mark Galvin and Tyler Elkins all drove in two runs for BGSU.

After BGSU built an early 3-0 lead, the Colonels slowly began to close the gap as Ottrando led off the bottom of the second with a double down the left field line and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Allen.

The Falcons plated another in the top of the fourth; however, Ottrando walked with one out in the bottom of the fourth and went to third on a double to left center by junior Ryan Faidley. Allen then roped a two-bagger into the gap in right center that scored both runners and made it 4-3.

The Colonels tied it in the fifth as sophomore Richie Rodriguez tripled to deep center to lead off the inning and was plated by a sacrifice fly to center from Daniel.

The score remained tied until, galvanized by a pair of early triples by Meisler and David Borcherdt, BGSU exploded four five in the top of the seventh to take a 9-5 lead.

EKU got two of those runs back in their half of the inning when sophomore Michael Garcia scored on a throwing error and Rodriguez came home on an RBI base hit to left center by Daniel. The Falcons, however, made the lead five again with two runs in the top of the eighth.

The Colonels attempted to mount a two-out, ninth-inning comeback as Ottrando belted an RBI single followed by a two-run single by Allen, but freshman Matt Phipps stranded two men as he went down on strikes to end the game.

EKU will now play a doubleheader against BGSU tomorrow beginning at 12:30 p.m. There will be no game on Sunday.