Bowling Green scored eight runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally and defeat the Youngstown State baseball team 12-7 in a midweek non-conference contest on Tuesday at Steller Field in Bowling Green, Ohio.
The Penguins held a 6-4 lead before the Falcons erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. YSU starter Brandon Mikos allowed four runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts while matching his career high with six innings pitched in a no-decision.
Youngstown State drops to 4-19 overall on the season while Bowling Green improves to 17-7.
Kyle Fossum went 2-for-4 with his ninth home run of the season while Caleb Hadley was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Cole Smith had two hits including a home run while Garrett Cutting delivered two RBI singles. Ten different Penguins recorded a hit in the contest as YSU was bested in the hit column 16-14.
Gavin Wilms suffered the loss after surrendering six runs on four hits while a pair of unearned runs went on Sloan Ulrich's record. Mitchell Seymour retired the side in order in the eighth inning in his first appearance of the season.
The Penguins grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Fossum led off the game with his ninth home run of the season to right center field.
The Falcons answered with two runs in the home half of the first of take a 2-1 edge. TJ Takats hit a leadoff home run to even the score while Caden Parker singled and scored on an RBI groundout by Brady Birchmeier.
YSU responded with two runs in the top of the second inning to regain a 3-2 lead. Brady Shannon drew a one-out walk, Hadley hit a two-out single and both runners scored when Fossum reached on an error.
The Penguins struck for a single run in the top of the fourth to push their lead to 4-2. Shannon hit a one-out triple to right field and scored on an RBI groundout by Eli Brown. YSU added another single in the top of the fifth inning to build a 5-2 advantage. Smith reached on an error, advanced to second on a base hit by Nathan Beckley and scored on Cutting's RBI single.
Bowling Green cut into YSU's lead by plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Parker hit a leadoff single, DJ Newman walked, and Birchmeier was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sam Seidel followed with a two-run single through the right side to reduce its deficit to 5-4.
Youngstown State got a run back in the top of the seventh when Smith led off the frame with his first home run of the season.
The Falcons went back on top 12-6 with eight runs on six hits in the bottom of the seventh. Parker hit a leadoff single and scored on Birchmeier's infield single before Zack Horky delivered a two-run double with the bases loaded to give BGSU its first lead since the second inning. Cooper McKenzie was hit by a pitch and scored on a wild pitch while Horky crossed home plate on an RBI single from Brayden Curlis. Antillon greeted Ulrich with an RBI triple before scoring when Parker reached on an error. Parker raced home on an RBI single from Newman for the final run of the rally.
Jay Wrona and Smith hit back-to-back singles to begin the ninth inning, and Wrona scored on an RBI single from Cutting for the final margin.
Bowling Green starter Nate Kress allowed three runs, one of them earned, on four hits with three strikeouts over three innings. Carrson Sova was awarded the win after permitting one run in two innings as one of five relievers to appear for the Falcons.
The Penguins will begin a three-game Horizon League series at Wright State on Friday. First pitch at Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and YSNLive.com.
