Mid-American Conference

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Nick Deeg pitched six strong innings and Logan Regnier drove in the game's only two runs Friday as Central Michigan opened the 2015 baseball season with a 2-0 victory over Florida Gulf Coast at Swanson Stadium.

Deeg, a sophomore left-hander, allowed three hits, struck out three and walked one. He set down the first 10 batters he faced and pitched out of a fifth-inning jam, getting an inning-ending flyout to strand runners at second and third.

"We pitched it very well for the first game out of the chute," CMU coach Steve Jaksa said. "I don't know if we could pitch it much better.

"Deeg was good, probably a little bit above good. The things that he could control, his demeanor, his presence, all were really good. I don't remember the last time we threw a shutout on opening night. It has to have been a long time ago."

Logan Regnier's one-out triple to the right-field corner in the top of the fifth inning scored Alex Borglin and Zach McKinstry, each of whom singled.

Borglin finished with two hits, while Nick Regnier and Tyler Huntey had one apiece for CMU, which struck out 17 times against three Gulf Coast pitchers.

Gulf Coast starter Michael Murray, who was 13-1 with a 1.83 earned run average a year ago, took the loss. The Chippewas had a baserunner at third with one out in the fifth (Regnier, after his triple) and loaded the bases with none out in the sixth, but failed to score in both instances.

"We just didn't battle," Jaksa said. "You've got to knuckle down. And that's frustrating. We've got to produce better. And we will. We are going to be better."

Jason Gamble pitched two perfect innings in relief of Deeg, and closer Tim Black induced a game-ending 4-6-3 double play to end the game and earn the save.

The Chippewas did not commit an error.

CMU and Gulf Coast are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. Adam Aldred is scheduled to start game 1 for the Chippewas, while Jordan Grosjean is slated to start the nightcap for CMU.

Freshman left-hander Devin Smeltzer starts for Gulf Coast in Saturday's opener; junior right-hander Brady Anderson will start opposite Grosjean in game two.

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The University of Akron baseball team issued strong performances on both sides of the ball en route to picking up a season-opening 7-5 win over Furman on Friday evening at Latham Stadium.

"Overall, I thought we played solid ball both offensively and on the mound. It was good to see the guys swing the bats the way they did and score some runs early," said head coach Rick Rembielak. "We stayed aggressive throughout the game and that was our goal going in."

With the game locked in a 3-all tie following a three-run fifth inning from Furman, sophomore reliever Josh Davis (1-0) took to the mound and twirled a pair of scoreless innings. Davis retired the side in his first inning of work and stranded the go-ahead run on base during his second. The sophomore threw 27 pitches, 20 for strikes, to pick up the win.

While Davis held off the Paladins, the Zips broke open the game throughout the final three innings with RBI singles off the bats of junior Kris Simonton and sophomore Dom Iero for a 5-3 lead through seven.

The Zips tacked on one run in each of the final two innings before the Paladins posed a scoring threat in the bottom of the ninth. Two runs cross for Furman, but senior reliever Matt LaRocca was awarded the save after he worked his way out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam by striking out a pair of batters to end the game.

Akron's offensive effort was led by junior designated hitter Daulton Mosbarger who issued a multi-RBI performance, clubbing two of Akron's 10 total hits.

After a scoreless first inning, a three-hit second frame got the Zips on the board first. A two-run single from Mosbarger pushed LaRocca and sophomore James Meeker III across for an early 2-0 advantage.

While UA got off to a scoring start offensively, junior starting pitcher John Valek III set down the Paladins in order during three of the opening four innings.

"The success starts on the mound and I think Valek did really well for the first time out. He really did his job and kept the batters off balance," Rembielak added.

Meanwhile, Akron clubbed seven hits by the end of the fourth frame, highlighted by an RBI single from Mosbarger that pushed Akron's lead to 3-0 as Mosbarger claimed the Zips' first three RBI.

The Paladins didn't break through Valek until the three-run fifth inning that locked the game at three runs apiece. Valek posted four hits and three earned runs while walking two and fanning one.

It was then that Davis stepped in to hold off the Paladins, allowing the Zips to take the lead.

"Our goal is to continue building and stay consistent heading into tomorrow," Rembielak added.

The Zips continue the three-game series against Furman Saturday afternoon with first pitch set for 1 p.m. at Latham Stadium.

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - The NIU baseball team (1-0) picked up its first season-opening win since 2001 Friday afternoon as the Huskies defeated South Dakota State (0-1) in the first game of the Governors Challenge at Austin Peay, 10-6. The opening day win was the first for NIU since the Huskies swept a doubleheader at UT Martin on Feb. 24, 2001.

The victory is the first for NIU Head Coach Mike Kunigonis, who was announced as the new Huskie skipper on Jan. 5. He is the first NIU baseball coach since Frank Del Medico in 1998 to win his head coaching debut.

"That was a great team win today, our guys played hard for 27 outs. The pitching combination of Neumann, Fuller and Sims was great. Each guy pounded the zone," said Kunigonis after the victory. "Offensively, we grinder it out and it showed on the scoreboard. We need to bring that same mentality to the ball park tomorrow. If we do that, we'll have a great chance to win the weekend tomorrow."

Junior reliever Seth Fuller (Moline, Ill./Black Hawk College) picked up the win in his NIU debut, tossing 4.0 innings while allowing four hits and three runs, zero earned. Ben Neumann (Verona, Wis./Verona Area) started for the Huskies as he threw 3.0 innings with three strikeouts and two walks.

"Fuller was outstanding and really buckled down when things got tight. I was happy to see him respond like that after being out last year," Kunigonis added.

Junior college transfer Stephen Letz (Dyer, Ind./South Suburban College) finished 3-for-5 in his Huskie debut, scoring and driving in one run with a double. Micah McCulloch (Rochelle, Ill./Rochelle) hit a two-run homer to drive in two runs while freshman Malique Ziegler (Des Moines, Iowa/Des Moines East) was 2-for-5 in his collegiate debut with two RBI.

NIU started the game with back-to-back walks to put two runners on base in the opening frame. However, both runners were stranded on the base path in the inning. History would not repeat itself in the second as the Huskies exploded for five runs in the frame as the first six NIU batters reached base safely.

Letz batted twice in the inning, leading off with a double and following up with an RBI single to score Justin Fletcher (Pekin, Ill./Illinois Central) for the fifth and final run of the frame.

The Jackrabbits responded in the bottom of the frame with one run and followed up with another in the third inning to cut their deficit to two runs, 5-2, through the first third of the game.

Fuller stepped onto the mound in the fourth inning and allowed the first runner to reach base after a fielding error. The first runner would score two batters later on a single and after one more error in the inning, NIU and SDSU would end the frame tied, 5-5, as the Jacks tacked on two more runs.

The Huskies responded in the next two innings though as it accounted for two runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Ziegler and Fletcher recorded RBI in the fifth as the freshman singled and Fletcher flied out, scoring Johnny Zubek (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) on the play.

Brian Sisler (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) led the sixth inning with a single to right field and scored two pitches later as McCulloch drove a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence to increase NIU's lead, 9-5. Zubek's RBI single through the left side scored Wes Sery (Bloomington, Ill./Normal West) and doubled the NIU lead, 10-5.

Freshman Donovin Sims (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah Community) finished the game on the mound for the Huskies, tossing 2.0 innings and while only allowing one hit and one run in his collegiate debut.

Four of South Dakota State's eight hits in the game were doubles, all recorded by different players. Tony Kjolsing and Paul Jacobson each recorded two hits and scored one run in the game.

NIU will return to action Saturday, playing two games, as it takes on Niagara and host Austin Peay. First pitch against the Purple Eagles is set for 2:30 p.m. Central while the game against the host Governors is set for 6 p.m. Central.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Ohio baseball team (1-0) racked up 10 runs in the ninth inning to defeat the UNC Asheville Bulldogs, 16-9, in the season opener on Friday afternoon at Greenwood Baseball Field in Asheville, N.C.
 
How it Happened
UNC Asheville claimed an early advantage, leading Ohio 5-0 after two innings.
 
Senior Tyler Wells (Lexington, Ky.) recorded the first hit of the 2015 season for the Bobcats with a lead-off single in the third inning, but was stranded on third following a Bulldog double-play.
 
The Bobcat bullpen took the reigns in the third inning, with Ohio reliever Christian Botter (Toronto, Canada) stranding a Bulldog in scoring position. The righty threw four innings in which he struck out three, walked two and allowed just two hits.
 
Ohio’s bats thundered in the fourth as solo home runs by both sophomore Mitch Longo (Mayfield, Ohio) and redshirt junior Cody Gaertner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) allowed to Bobcats to close in on the Bulldog’s lead, 5-2.
 
Two wild pitches by UNC Asheville sent Ohio sophomore Tyler Finkler (Olmsted Falls, Ohio) home in the fifth, giving the Bobcats their third unanswered run.
 
Ohio tacked on three additional runs to claim the lead in the eighth, beginning with an RBI single by Wells, followed by a Bulldog error that placed Wells and junior John Adryan (Delran, N.J.) in scoring position with just one out remaining. A two-RBI single of the bat of sophomore Ty Black (Waynesville, Ohio) turned the lead over to Ohio, 6-5 at the top of the eighth.
 
A Bulldog RBI single knotted the score, 6-6, in the bottom of the eighth.  
 
Ohio claimed the lead and solidified their victory in the ninth, with RBI by Longo, Gaertner, Wells, Ty Black, Finkler, De Jesus and Madsen sending runners across the plate, accounting for 10 runs overall.
 
The Bulldogs tacked three runs onto the board in the ninth, settling the final score at Ohio 16, UNC Asheville 9.
 
Sophomore Jake Rudnicki (Toledo, Ohio) had the starting nod for Ohio, tossing two innings in which the righty struck out four, allowed four hits and five runs, two of which were earned.
 
Bulldog starter Corey Randall struck out just one Bobcat over his six innings on the bump, allowing five Ohio hits and three earned runs. 

TUCSON, Ariz. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team opened up the 2015 campaign Friday, Feb. 13, at the University of Arizona. The Eagles (0-1) dropped a 7-3 decision at Hi Corbett Field in Head Coach Mark Van Ameyde's debut as the Wildcats (1-0) used a five-run second inning to take the season opener.

Eastern posted six hits in the loss as Tony DiLeo went 2-for-4, while John Rubino and Marquise Gill each went 1-for-3 with a RBI. Ryan Lavoie (0-1) went six innings for the Eagles, allowing five earned runs on seven hits, while being saddled with the loss. The Green and White allowed two runs through the remainder of the contest.

Arizona sent Austin Schnabel (1-0) to the mound and he did not disappoint. The sophomore went 6.2 innings, earning the victory. He allowed three runs on six hits, while setting down eight Eagles on strikes. Cameron Ming and Cody Hamlin went the final 2.1 innings for the Wildcats to complete the UA victory.

Eastern opened up the scoring in the top of the second inning. Adam Dennison singled through the left side and moved up to second after a DiLeo single. Gill roped a single to left field, scoring Dennis to give the Green and White a 1-0 lead.

The Wildcats came back strong in the bottom half of the inning. Zach Gibbons opened up the bottom of the second with a single, before a J.J. Matijevic double put runners at second and third. Bobby Dalbec singled in the next at-bat to knot things up. Jared Olivia then came to the plate and singled through the left side to take a 2-1 lead. Arizona scored three more runs that inning, taking a 5-1 lead.

The contest didn't see any scoring until the seventh when the Eagles scored a pair. DiLeo led off the inning with a single before stealing second. Rubino stepped to the batter's box and ripped a triple down the right field line to score a run. Rubino then advanced home on a wild pitch to make it a 5-3 game.

The Wildcats answered in the eighth scoring a pair. Tyler Krause led off the inning with a triple to left center before Riley Moore hit another three-bagger to give Arizona a 6-3 lead. Krause scored on a passed ball in the next at-bat to close out the scoring in the game.

The Eagles continue the series with Arizona Saturday, Feb. 14, when they take on the Wildcats for the second time in a three-game set. The game is slated for 4 p.m. MT at Hi Corbett Field.

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Five Kent State errors resulted in the Golden Flashes dropping the first game of the 2015 season as host Winthrop scored six unearned runs in the 9-1 win.

"We didnt play fundamentally sound on either side of the baseball today," said Head Coach Jeff Duncan.  "Nick Jensen-Clagg pitched well despite the lack of support defensively and offensively."

The Eagles were able to grab an early lead on a leadoff triple and sacrifice fly to plate a run in the first en route to the victory.

Starter Jensen Clagg then dug in to allow just one more hit through his five innings of work, striking out seven along the way while walking six.

However, six unearned runs were able to come across for Winthrop as they scored again in the 5th, then posted a two-run 6th, four-run 7th and tallied their final run in the 8th.

Kent State's sole run came in the 9th on two outs.  Dylan Rosa and Conner Simonetti were both walked before Luke Burch was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Another walk, this time to Zach Beckner, forced the run in.

Dan Kopcak followed Jensen-Clagg in relief with 1.2 innings, allowing three hits, one earned run and striking out two.  Aaron Tadian finished the game on the mound for the Flashes with two hits, one earned run, one walk and one strikeout in 1.1 innings.

Zarley Zalewski had two of Kent State's five hits while Alex Miklos, Luca Fuscardo and Rosa all had one each.  Burch had the team's first stolen base of the season.

The two teams square off again in a doubleheader on Saturday with first pitch of game one scheduled for 1 p.m.

"We are much more capable than what we showed tonight," Duncan added.  "We need to learn from this and have much more grit and enthusiasm for the game tomorrow.  We will get better as long as we learn from the mistakes tonight."

Ball State's baseball team suffered an 11-7 loss to Kentucky in its season opener at the Buffalo Wild Wings Battle @ the Beach in Wilmington, N.C.

"The outcome was not what we had hoped for but I loved the way we battled back," Ball State head coach Rich Maloney said.  "I also was pleased to get four of our freshmen pitchers into the game.  They did a nice job in their first outings."

In a game that saw the offenses take control early and late, the Wildcats jumped out to a 9-0 lead after five innings but Ball State outscored Kentucky 7-2 in the last four frames.

The Cardinals biggest inning of the game was a five-run eighth inning that closed the gap to 10-7 before Kentucky scored an insurance run in the top of the ninth.

Down 9-0 after five innings, Ball State rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth behind an Alex Call double, a two-out single from Sean Kennedy and a shot over the right fielders head by Brandon Estep that scored Kennedy from first base.

The five-run eighth inning for the Cardinals was started by a Jarett Rindfleisch single to right center.  Daniel Brodsky pinch ran for Rindfleisch and advanced to second on a Kennedy single.  Estep walked to load the bases and Elbert Devarie laced a single to score two.  With one out, Alex Maloney reached base on an error and loaded the bases.  Ryan Spaulding was hit by a pitch and the Cardinals scored their third run of the inning.  Call's single scored two and Ball State had cut the lead to 10-7 through eight.

But the Ball State pitching staff could not stop the Wildcats high-powered offense that managed 11 runs on 17 hits, including four infield singles on the day.

Zach Plesac, the Collegiate Baseball National Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2014, started the game and suffered the loss.  He pitched 3.2 innings, allowing only four earned runs, while striking out one and walking four.

Ball State's bullpen featured four freshmen seeing their first collegiate action and combining to pitch 4.1 innings, allowing only two earned runs and striking out four.

In addition to the four freshmen pitchers -- Trevor Henderson, Colin Brockhouse, Trevor Simon and Brendan Burns -- Ball State also played freshmen Brodsky and Mike Roberson in the contest.

Devarie topped the Cardinals at the plate with a 3-for-5 performance, including two runs-batted-in.  Call was 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Kennedy was 2-for-5 with one RBI.

The Cardinals are slated to face host UNC-Wilmington Saturday at 4 p.m., but a scheduled game with Richmond Sunday at 10 a.m. is in jeopardy due to incoming inclement weather.

STARKVILLE, Miss. – It was a day in which Miami could not overcome a fast start by Cincinnati, dropping their season-opener in a 3-1 decision to the Bearcats.

The top of the first saw the RedHawks get a runner in scoring position after a two-out walk by Gary Russo and a single by Matt Honchel, however the Red & White were unable to capitalize. In the bottom of the first, Cincinnati hopped on the RedHawks early and scored the game’s first runs, going up 2-0 on a two-out single by Devin Wenzel after two straight hit batters loaded the bases.

The RedHawks threatened again in the top of the second after a leadoff walk put Ryan Elble on base. After two straight fly-outs, Kendall Johnson walked putting runners at first and second but a groundout the next at-bat ended the frame. Again, the Red & White could not take advantage.

Ian Happ got his third of the day, a home run to right field, putting Cincinnati up 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Jacob Banks (L, 0-1) walked the next batter, ending his day with three runs on five hits in four and a third innings pitched. He also recorded seven strikeouts. Brad Schwartz came on in relief, successfully getting the RedHawks out of the inning without any further damage.

The RedHawks finally got on the board in the top of the eighth. Chad Sedio cranked a one-out double down the left field line. After a fly-out, Johnson knocked in Sedio on a two-out single, cutting the Cincinnati lead to 3-1. That would be the last score of the day as Jake Romano singled to left field but was thrown out trying to stretch it into two bases, ending the inning.

Brian Thene saw his first action since 2013 after sitting out 2014 with an injury. He looked sharp, surrendering zero hits in two-thirds of an inning, striking out two. Clay Cinnamon also took the mound in relief for the RedHawks, tossing one inning and giving up just one hit. He had just two appearances in an injury-riddled season in 2014.

Miami wraps up their season-opening series Saturday as they take on Mississippi State. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on SEC Network + and WatchESPN.com. 

BOILING SPRINGS, NC - The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York baseball team (0-1) opened the 2015 season on Friday with a 5-4 loss to James Madison. Junior Nick Sinay collected two hits, three stolen bases and a run in the losing effort for the Bulls, who held the 4-1 lead after four innings but could not hold on.

The Bulls started the season quick as Sinay and Ben Haefner recorded back-to-back singles into centerfield to start off the game. The pair then executed a double steal to give UB two runners in scoring position with no outs. Unfortunetly for the Bulls, a pair of strikeouts and a ground ball to second base ended the threat in the first inning.

James Madison got on the board first in the second inning as Kyle Weston crossed the plate on a ground out to shortstop by Brett Johnson. UB starting pitcher Mike McGee was able to strand two runners on base in the second as he forced a ground out to short to end the threat.

The Bulls responded quickly in the third as they were able to break through with their first runs of the season, scoring four runs in the inning. Sinay started things off for the Bulls once again, earning a bunt single and then stealing second base, giving Haefner an at bat with a runner in scoring. Haefner came through for UB with a double into the right field corner, scoring Sinay. Vinny Mallaro then came to the plate and gave the Bulls the 2-1 lead as he recorded a single into center that scored Haefner from second. After a pop out to shortstop, junior college transfer Mike Abrunzo stepped up to the plate and deposited an Aaron Hoover pitch over the left-center field wall for his first career home run, a two-run shot that extended the Bulls lead to 4-1.

After a scoreless fourth, James Madison chased McGee in the fifth after he walked the bases loaded. Anthony Magovney entered for the Bulls from the bullpen and allowed a bases clearing triple to Michael Sciorra, which tied the game at four. The next batter was able to knock Sciorra in on a single before Magovney got out of the fifth with a strikeout and caught stealing.

Sinay finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of hit by pitches and also matched a career-high with three stolen bases. Heafner finished with a pair of hits while Brian Dudek had a single and Brent Cleland recorded a double in the losing effort. For the game, the Bulls struck out 11 times and left 13 runners on base.

Magovney pitched well in relief of McGee for the Bulls as he scattered four hits over 3.2 innings of action while striking out two Dukes.

UB returns to the diamond on Saturday afternoon as they will take on Gardner-Webb at 12:00 pm. 

NASHVILLE, TN - The Rockets suffered a trio of setbacks in their opening weekend slate in Nashville, TN. Toledo fell in their opening day game to Wright State on Friday before dropping a pair of games on Saturday.

After dropping an 8-1 decision on Friday night to the Raiders, Toledo looked for a bit of revenge on Saturday morning with another battle against WSU.

The Midnight Blue & Gold jumped out to an early 2-1 lead after a home run from junior John Martillotta in the top of the second inning. Fellow junior Ryan Callahan extended the UT lead in the top of the seventh with his first homer of the year.

However, the Raiders tagged the Toledo bullpen with a combined six runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to escape with a 7-4 victory.

Senior reliever Adam Tyson was at saddled with the loss, giving up two earned runs in just 0.2 innings of work. Toledo starter Steven Calhoun struck seven batters in 6.2 innings. The sophomore lefty gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits in his first start of the season.

Callahan finished 3-for-4 at the dish with his dinger in the seventh while Martillotta led the way with his two RBI.

With the bitter taste of defeat freshly engraved, Toledo turned its attention to game two of the day against the Belmont Bruins. Unfortunately for the Rockets, the result would be the same.

The Bruins jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead after the first two innings and never took their foot off the gas. Toledo did its best to keep pace and cut the deficit to just one-run heading into the bottom of the fourth, following an RBI double from freshman Matt Hansen, but Belmont would not be denied. BU tallied 10 runs in the final three innings in the 18-5 win over the Rockets.

Junior Caleb Schillace was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs, just one earned, in his 2.2 innings of work.

Hansen and fellow freshman A.J. Montoya each tallied a pair of RBI but despite their efforts the Rockets ended the weekend without finding the win column.

The Midnight Blue & Gold will return to action next Friday as they hit the road to Rock Hill, SC with a weekend slate against Winthrop. First pitch for Friday's game is slated for 4:00 p.m.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- Western Michigan sophomore left-handed pitcher Keegan Akin struck out nine batters, but UAB ace Alex Luna was a force to be reckoned with as well, keeping the Bronco bats at bay as WMU baseball dropped a 4-1 decision in the season opener in Alabama Friday.

In an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, Akin and Luna put on a show, both almost equally as impressive. Akin allowed just four hits, one walk and two earned runs over six innings. His nine K’s were the second most of his career.

A Preseason Conference USA selection, Luna entered the game coming off a junior season in which he posted a 7-1 record and 1.76 ERA. Luna proved worthy of the preseason nod, striking out six Broncos while surrendering just three hits and no walks over 7.2 shutout innings.

After playing three scoreless innings, UAB got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth using a leadoff single and a two-out double. The Blazers tacked on another run in the fifth before Akin's day was done.

UAB added two more runs off of WMU senior right-handed reliever Nick Bradley in the eighth to go up 4-0. Western Michigan put forth its best attempt at a rally in the top of the ninth, but only came away with one run.

“Our guys played really well on opening day,” said WMU head coach Billy Gernon. “Akin was electric posting nine K’s and only one walk, but was on a pitch limit of 90.

“We had 4-5 line drives/hard hit balls that UAB defended well. You have to give credit to their pitcher tonight as he pounded the zone with three pitches. His 1.76 ERA last year in 87 innings of work in Conference USA was evident tonight.”

Western Michigan was a one hit away from changing the complexion of the game in the ninth. Brett Sunde drew a leadoff walk and with one away Jordan Tillman also took a free pass. Hunter Prince followed with a single to right to load the bases. After a UAB pitching change, junior transfer Mitchell Ho knocked in Sunde with a fielder’s choice for his first RBI in a Bronco uniform. UAB’s Cory Eller got out of the hot seat with a swinging strikeout on WMU’s Caleb Caton to end the game.

Freshman CF Tanner Allison and freshman LF Evan Nelson each had a hit in the game for Western Michigan, as did Sunde and Prince.

Junior Kurt Hoekstra made his first career start at shortstop, while sophomore Nick Vogelmeier made his first career start at second base. Freshman LHP Jacob Piechota made his first career appearance out of the bullpen.

Western Michigan (0-1) and UAB (1-0) will wrap up the three-game series with a doubleheader tomorrow beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Junior LHP Derek Schneider has moved up to throw game two of the series and senior RHP Chad Mayle will go in game three.

Bowling Green 7, Southeast Missouri State 6 l Boxscore 
Southeast Missouri State 6, Bowling Green 5 (7 inn) l Boxscore

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.—The Bowling Green State University baseball program split a pair of games to open their 2015 season on Friday afternoon against Southeast Missouri State University. The Falcons won the first game of the day, 7-6, before dropping the second game to the Ohio Valley Conference-favorite Redhawks, 6-5.

"I was very pleased with our effort on the first day of our 2015 season. To only commit one error in a doubleheader after not having practiced outside since October is very encouraging. There are several facets that we will continue to work on improving as we move forward this season, but we are excited to have a chance to win a series when we take the field tomorrow afternoon."

Game One - Bowling Green 7, Southeast Missouri 6
Bowling Green came out in game one and earned a 7-6 victory over the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri to begin the 2015 season. Devin Daugherty earned the win on the mound, while Jason Link threw a scoreless ninth inning for the save. Freshman Randy Righter went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, while Greg Basalyga set a new career high with three hits.

Early on, as both teams settled into the new season and BGSU saw their first action outside since October, SEMO got on the board with a two-out double into the right-center field gap. Starter Andrew Lacinak was able to work out of any further trouble, after a two-out error put another SEMO runner in scoring position.

Lacinak was solid in his first outing, surrendering four runs in four innings pitched while striking out three. He left the game in line for the win, throwing 76 pitches before reaching his pitch count for the season opener. He was relieved in the top of the fifth by junior Devin Daugherty.

Speed was a key for the Falcons all day long, as newcomer, and captain, Kory Brown began the top of the third inning by reaching on an error. Brown's speed proved key again later in the inning, as Brandon Howard, the very next batter hit a chopper towards short and Brown beat the throw to second. With Trey Keegan at the dish, Brown was able to come around to score from second on a wild pitch, evening the score at a run apiece in the top of the third.

In the bottom of the third inning, Southeast Missouri would retake the lead on a wacky play. With one out and two runners on, Ryan Rippee drilled a fly ball to deep right field, a ball which Jesse Rait caught against the wall. Banging up against the wall, the ball popped out of Rait's glove on the transfer, but was still ruled a catch. Both runners were able to come around and score on the play, giving the Redhawks a 3-1 lead over the Falcons in the bottom of the third.

Basalyga and Rait began the top of the fourth inning with singles to put the Falcons in business. Batting with two runners on , Righter, a true freshman making his first career start, drilled a three-run, opposite-field home run over the right field wall to give the Falcons a 4-3 lead. SEMO would answer with a solo home run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, but it was tied at four following four innings of play.

Howard, who was on base four times in Friday's first game, started the fifth inning with a walk. He was advanced to second on Brian Bien's sacrifice bunt and then stole third. Keegan's single past the drawn-in infield brought Howard in for the go-ahead run, giving the Orange and Brown a 5-4 lead.

The Redhawks were able to even the score in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Falcons retook the lead for good in the top of the seventh. Once again, Howard got things going in the inning with a one-out single through the left side of the infield. After a stolen base of second, a Bien single brought Howard around to give Bowling Green a 6-5 lead.

Randy Righter's fourth RBI of the day—a fielder's choice ground out—gave the Falcons a 7-5 lead with an insurance run in the top of the eighth. Although SEMO managed a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to close within a run, they could not manage another run as Link recorded his third career save to begin the 2015 season with a victory. The win marked BGSU's first win in a season opener since 2013, when the Falcons defeated Western Kentucky.

Game Two - Southeast Missouri 6, Bowling Green 5
Southeast Missouri jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first in game two, as the first three batters of the game produced two runs for the Redhawks. The leadoff batter singled against Falcon starter Trevor Blaylock, before a double into the gap scored a runner from first. A single through the right side gave SEMO a 2-0 lead, but the Falcons worked out of the inning with a strikeout and two runners caught stealing. Falcon catchers were outstanding, as Trey Keegan and Tyler Greiner combined to gun down six-of-seven base stealers for the Redhawks in the doubleheader.

The Falcons were able to narrow the gap to 2-1 in the top of the third, as Kory Brown once again proved to be a thorn in the Redhawks' side. Brown began the inning with a single on the infield and advanced to second when the Redhawk catcher made an errant pickoff attempt to first base. Brown came around to score, narrowing the deficit to a single run, when Brandon Howard reached on an error later in the inning.

SEMO's lead increased to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, but the Falcons bounced back in the top of the fifth to even the score at three runs apiece. An error and walk issued to the last two hitters in the Falcons' batting order put the Orange and Brown in business to start the inning. Following a walk to the leadoff hitter Howard, the Falcons had the bases loaded with nobody out. A sacrifice fly by Brian Bien gave the Falcons their first run of the inning, and a wild pitch allowed Brown to cross home to tie the score.

The Redhawks took control of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring two runs on four walks to take a 5-3 lead. SEMO managed just one hit in the inning, but scraped across a pair of runs—the first on an infield single and the second on a walk with the bases loaded. In the bottom of the sixth, the Redhawks added an insurance run to take a 6-3 lead into the seventh, and final, inning of the game.

The Falcons made a valiant comeback attempt in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs to make the final deficit 6-5. Brown began the inning by reaching on an error and came around to score on a double by Howard into the right-center field gap. Howard scored to make it 6-5 on a single by Trey Keegan, but the Falcons could not manage anything else in the game.

The two teams will conclude their three-game series at Capaha Field on Saturday (Feb. 14) afternoon. First pitch in the series' rubber match is slated for 1:00 pm ET/12:00 pm CT in Cape Girardeau, Mo. True freshman Zac Carey is expected to make the start on the mound for the Falcons.