Eagles Come Up Empty Against BGSU on Senior Day, 9-3

Re-Listen to the Game

Photo Gallery

Banquet Photo Gallery.

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)— An emotional pregame celebration to honor the 2012 Eastern Michigan University baseball graduates was followed by a disappointing 9-3 setback to Bowling Green State University Sunday afternoon, May 6, at Oestrike Stadium. The Eagles committed a season-high six errors and surrendered four unearned runs in the final home contest of the season.

Prior to the start of Sunday's game, the EMU baseball family recognized its eight seniors: Jordan Glover, Matt Hitt, Bo Kinder, Kyle Klein, Ben Magsig, Brent Ohrman, Tucker Rubino and Collin Taylor.

The Eagles (22-24; 12-9 MAC) still claimed the series victory, 2-1, and remain a game behind the University of Toledo for top spot in the Mid-American Conference West Division. The Falcons (18-27; 7-13 MAC) salvaged the final game after posting a four-run first inning.

Ryan Lavoie (3-3) only lasted a third of an inning in his shortest start of the season. The freshman gave up four runs (three earned) on a pair of hits and two walks. Jordan Glover fared much better in his 5.2 innings of long relief, scattering four hits and not allowing an earned run.

Offensively, Rubino and Ohrman each notched 2-for-5 afternoons with Ohrman also adding an RBI. Lee Longo (0-for-3) and Kinder (1-for-4) had the other EMU RBI. Magsig (0-for-3) walked twice during the game and has now reached base in 30 straight contests.

Bowling Green reliever Nick Bruns (3-2) pitched his way to a victory in five innings of work. He allowed an earned run with three hits, five strikeouts and two free passes. Ben Singer locked up his first save of the season, pitching the final two innings and striking out one.

The Falcons drew first blood with four runs in the opening frame. After Lavoie walked the first two batters and threw a wild pitch to put runners at second and third, Patrick Lancaster reached base on an infield single and advanced to second on a Rubino throwing error. The arrant throw allowed two runs to score. An error and a single accounted for the other two runs and Lavoie was chased from the hill following the final tally.

During the top of the first, an unfortunate incident occurred when Andrew Kubuski dove back in toward second base head-first on a pick-off attempt. Kubuski lay on the infield until he was carted off in an ambulance and taken to a local hospital for observation. Kubuski later returned to Oestrike Stadium for the bus ride home with the team. According to BGSUFalcons.com, he was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a broken nose.

EMU clawed back in the bottom of the first with two runs to cut the deficit to 4-2. Ohrman hit a single with nobody out to plate Magsig, who led off with a walk. Longo then hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to drive in Rubino. The Eagles loaded the bases again on a Dae Bowden walk, but Kinder swung through strike three to end the threat.

With two outs and a runner on second in the top of the third, Longo made a fine defensive play on a ground ball headed for right field to keep the BGSU lead at a pair of runs.

Eastern Michigan looked poised to add some more runs to their total in the fourth as Klein singled and Magsig drew his second free pass of the afternoon to put runners at first and second with one out. However, Rubino sent a chopper to third on a 3-2 count which turned into an inning-ending double play.

Bowling Green widened its advantage to 5-2 with a run in the sixth. Jeremy Shay made it all the way to third base on a fly ball which was dropped by Ohrman in centerfield. He then scored when Hitt dropped the ball on a tag attempt at home plate.

The Green and White got that run right back in its next at-bat as Daniel Russell doubled down the right field line and Kinder singled up the middle to drive him in and make it a 5-3 affair. The Falcons answered with a run of their own in the seventh for another three-run lead, 6-3.

Continued sloppy defense led to three more Falcons' runs in the ninth. Brandon Howard singled in the inning's final run. Two of the BGSU tallies in that frame were unearned as Joe Battistelli committed EMU's sixth error of the game.

Singer gave up a single to Rubino, but otherwise put the Eagles away in the bottom of the ninth to earn the two-inning save.

The Eagles continue MAC play with a three-game road stint against the University at Buffalo, May 11-13, in Buffalo, N.Y.

Next Event

Team Stats

Tucker Rubino

Brent Ohrman

Daniel Russell

Bo Kinder

Eastern Michigan Athletics