Central Michigan University
Bowling Green
Chippewas Outlast Bowling Green In Series Opener
4/21/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Zach Gilles raced home from second base on Jason Sullivan's one-out single in the 13th inning Friday as Central Michigan took an 8-7 dogfight from Bowling Green in the opener of a three-game Mid-American Conference series at the Falcons' Steller Field.
CMU improved to 20-17, 9-1 MAC. The Chippewas maintain their one-game lead in the MAC West over Eastern Michigan, which is 8-2 in league play. CMU and Bowling Green (9-24, 4-9) are scheduled to play game 2 of the series on Saturday (1 p.m.).
Gilles, a freshman, led off the 13th with an infield single off Tony Landi (1-5), who came on to pitch the 13th for the Falcons. Alex Borglin bunted Gilles to second, and Gilles scored on Sullivan's up-the-middle single.
Colton Bradley set down the Falcons in order in the bottom of the inning, ending a game that took 4 hours, 16 minutes to complete and included 26 hits, eight pitchers, and 18 runners left on the base.
At 13 innings, it was CMU's longest game of the season. CMU is 2-3 in extra-inning games this year.
Bradley (4-0), the fourth CMU pitcher, blanked the Falcons over three innings, striking out three. His lone blemish was a hit batsman, who was later caught stealing.
Robert Greenman homered and singled for CMU, which outhit the Falcons, 14-12. It was Greenman's fifth round-tripper of the season, tying him for the team lead with Daniel Jipping.
Gilles finished with a career-high four hits including a double, while Daniel Robinson added three hits, and Sullivan and Evan Kratt finished with two hits apiece.
Dazon Cole started for CMU and allowed five runs on six hits, walked two and struck out two over four innings. Michael Brettell and Jordan Grosjean both worked in relief.
Tyler Hankins (4-0), a freshman left-hander, will start for the Chippewas on Saturday against right-hander Zac Carey (3-3).
