Bowling Green evens the series with CMU baseball team
Normally it has been the Central Michigan baseball team scoring first in the first inning.
But Saturday Bowling Green gave the Chippewas a taste of their medicine by scoring seven runs in the first inning in route to a 12-8 win over the Chippewas.
“(Rick) Dodridge didn’t get enough support today is the bottom line,” head coach Steve Jaksa said. “When you have three errors in the first inning and you give up 10 runs, and only three of them are earned you me and God almighty would struggle.”
The Falcons (9-17, 1-4 MAC) scored two more runs in the second inning giving them the early 9-0 advantage.
But CMU scored three runs in the third inning and had five runners to cross the plate in the seventh, but BGSU scored one run in the fourth and two in the sixth giving it the 12-8 advantage and win.
Of those 12 Falcon runs just five were earned as the Chippewas (12-15, 2-2 MAC) recorded five errors on the day.
“We just have to do a better job making those plays and that’s the bottom line,” Jaksa said. “We have to be more consistent and it’s not that we can’t do it, we just haven’t been consistent.”
The CMU bats were able to keep it alive on the day with eleven hits including multi-hit games from junior shortstop Jordan Dean (three hits), and senior infielder Tyler Hall (two hits) but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit.
“We were just getting good pitches to swing at and were putting the bat on the ball” Dean said. “It seems we’ve been coming from behind lately but really shows a lot of heart and composure we have.”
Dodridge had the start and went four innings for the Chippewas, but he allowed eight hits and a walk while 10 runs came in to score, only three of which were earned however.
“We just need to dig our noses in and make the plays, myself included,” Dean said. “I’m not happy with the past few games for me defensively, and I’m sure coach (Jaksa) feels the same way.”
Freshman Jordan Foley came on in relief of Dodridge in the fifth and in his two innings of work allowed two runs on just two hits.
Sophomore Kenton San Miguel and junior Patrick Kaminska finished the game pitching a scoreless eighth and ninth inning.
“I was very pleased with San Miguel, they had four out of five left hand hitters coming up and I thought he did a really nice job,” Jaksa said. “Pat (Kaminska) has been very consistent for us out of the bullpen.”
CMU will be looking to redeem itself at 1 p.m. Sunday when senior Ryan Longstreth takes the hill trying to secure the teams second series win in Mid-American Conference play.
“A win tomorrow is going to be huge and we just need to come out with a lot of energy and play our game,” Dean said.
