Friday, March 28
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
11 a.m.
Central Michigan University
10-16, 5-2
5
vs
7
Bowling Green
18-7, 8-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Bowling Green
4
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
12
0
Central Michigan
0
0
0
2
0
3
0
0
0
5
14
1
CMU's Bryson Webb celebrates his triple during game one of the Chippewas doubleheader with Bowling Green on Friday on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw
Baseball Drops 2 to Bowling Green
3/28/2025 8:02:00 PM | Baseball
Chippewas and Falcons set to close MAC series on Sunday
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Two hills that proved too high to climb.
Bowling Green took the early lead in both games on Friday in sweeping a Mid-American Conference doubleheader from Central Michigan, 7-5 and 4-3, on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
The teams conclude their three-game series on Sunday (11 a.m.). The finale was moved to Sunday because of all-day rain forecast for Saturday.
The loss in game one ended CMU's win streak at five games and the sweep left the Chippewas 10-17, 5-3 MAC. The defending MAC regular season champion Falcons improved to 19-7, 9-2.
"Obviously it sets us back," said CMU coach Jake Sabol, whose team had won eight of its previous nine games. "I think we've done a pretty good job the last couple of weeks fighting back and winning some of those ball games.
"It makes it tougher when you have to do it that way. It puts a lot of pressure on the pitchers to keep it there too and you're continuing to fight and you get closer and it makes everything a bigger moment than it really needs to be."
The Falcons seized a 7-0 lead through three innings of the opener before the Chippewas scored two in the fourth and three in the sixth to draw to 7-5.
CMU put two on with two out, bringing the winning run to the plate, in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't deliver the clutch hit.
In the nightcap, Bowling Green built a 4-0 lead before the Chippewas scored three times in the eighth. They left two on, including the potential tying run at third, in the inning.
Closer Connar Penrod earned the save in both games, giving him seven on the season.
The Chippewas outhit the Falcons in both games, 14-12 in the opener and 7-6 in the nightcap and committed just one error on the day.
CMU starter Alejandro Espinoza allowed all seven Bowling Green runs in the opener. Chippewa starter A.J. Kostic surrendered all four Falcon runs in the nightcap.
The Chippewa bullpen – Justin Morgan and Nate Ross in the opener and Liam Stumpf in the nightcap – did not allow a run.
"Those guys did exactly what we needed them to do and that was to come in and keep the score right where it was," Sabol said. "It gave our offense, which we feel like has a good chance of fighting back, that opportunity. We just fell short in both of them.
"It was tough, especially against a really good team. I thought our guys competed. There still more in there, more fight in there. The good thing about it, we get a chance again tomorrow.
"(Bowling Green) played well today. They came out and jumped on us; they certainly had more energy than we did, and they had fun taking two from us. We've just got to be better tomorrow."
Cayden Smith and Aaron Piasecki had three hits apiece and Nathan Ball drove in two runs to lead the Chippewas at the plate in the opener. Chippewa leadoff man Mikey Murphy had four hits on the day, two in each game.
Bowling Green took the early lead in both games on Friday in sweeping a Mid-American Conference doubleheader from Central Michigan, 7-5 and 4-3, on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
The teams conclude their three-game series on Sunday (11 a.m.). The finale was moved to Sunday because of all-day rain forecast for Saturday.
The loss in game one ended CMU's win streak at five games and the sweep left the Chippewas 10-17, 5-3 MAC. The defending MAC regular season champion Falcons improved to 19-7, 9-2.
"Obviously it sets us back," said CMU coach Jake Sabol, whose team had won eight of its previous nine games. "I think we've done a pretty good job the last couple of weeks fighting back and winning some of those ball games.
"It makes it tougher when you have to do it that way. It puts a lot of pressure on the pitchers to keep it there too and you're continuing to fight and you get closer and it makes everything a bigger moment than it really needs to be."
The Falcons seized a 7-0 lead through three innings of the opener before the Chippewas scored two in the fourth and three in the sixth to draw to 7-5.
CMU put two on with two out, bringing the winning run to the plate, in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't deliver the clutch hit.
In the nightcap, Bowling Green built a 4-0 lead before the Chippewas scored three times in the eighth. They left two on, including the potential tying run at third, in the inning.
Closer Connar Penrod earned the save in both games, giving him seven on the season.
The Chippewas outhit the Falcons in both games, 14-12 in the opener and 7-6 in the nightcap and committed just one error on the day.
CMU starter Alejandro Espinoza allowed all seven Bowling Green runs in the opener. Chippewa starter A.J. Kostic surrendered all four Falcon runs in the nightcap.
The Chippewa bullpen – Justin Morgan and Nate Ross in the opener and Liam Stumpf in the nightcap – did not allow a run.
"Those guys did exactly what we needed them to do and that was to come in and keep the score right where it was," Sabol said. "It gave our offense, which we feel like has a good chance of fighting back, that opportunity. We just fell short in both of them.
"It was tough, especially against a really good team. I thought our guys competed. There still more in there, more fight in there. The good thing about it, we get a chance again tomorrow.
"(Bowling Green) played well today. They came out and jumped on us; they certainly had more energy than we did, and they had fun taking two from us. We've just got to be better tomorrow."
Cayden Smith and Aaron Piasecki had three hits apiece and Nathan Ball drove in two runs to lead the Chippewas at the plate in the opener. Chippewa leadoff man Mikey Murphy had four hits on the day, two in each game.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jacob Turner (2-1)
L: Espinoza, Alejandro (1-5)
S: Connar Penrod (6)
Batting:
2B: Garrett Wright 2 ; DJ Newman 1 ; Brady Birchmeier 1 ; Gavin Ganun 1
RBI: TJ Takats 1 ; DJ Newman 1 ; Brady Birchmeier 3 ; Gavin Ganun 2
Base Running:
RUNS: TJ Takats 1 ; Garrett Wright 2 ; DJ Newman 1 ; Brady Birchmeier 1 ; Caden Parker 1 ; Gavin Ganun 1
SB: DJ Newman 1
CS: Gunner Antillon 1
HBP: Gavin Ganun 1
Batting:
2B: Murphy, Mikey 1 ; Smith, Cayden 2
3B: Piasecki, Aaron 1 ; Webb, Bryson 1
RBI: Ball, Nathan 2 ; Wright, Aydin 1 ; Webb, Bryson 1 ; Campanale, Rees 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Smith, Cayden 1 ; Piasecki, Aaron 2 ; Krzciok, Brady 1 ; Webb, Bryson 1
SB: Krzciok, Brady 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
lf/cf
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
IF/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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