Bailey, Bullpen Combine to Shut Out Bowling Green

Saturday, April 11

Bowling Green, Ohio / Steller Field

3 p.m.

Central Michigan University

12-18, 6-11

Bowling Green

14-18, 8-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Central Mich.	0	0	3	0	0	1	1	0	0	5	5	1
Bowling Green	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1

Bailey, Bullpen Combine to Shut Out Bowling Green Image

CMU starter Hayden Bailey struck out six over six innings Saturday in the Chippewas' 5-0 win at Bowling Green.

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

4/11/2026 6:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Bowman homers as Chippewas even series with 5-0 victory

By: Andy Sneddon

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Goose eggs, donuts, bike tires.

Whatever the term, there is nothing more pleasing to the eye of a baseball pitching staff and a coach than zeros on the opposing team's scoreline.

Four Central Michigan hurlers combined on a three-hitter as the Chippewas downed Bowling Green, 5-0, on Saturday in a Mid-American Conference game at the Falcons' Steller Field.

It was the Chippewas' first shutout since April 27, 2025, a 4-0 blanking of Ball State, and their first on the road since they posted a 6-0 win at Houston Christian in the '25 season opener.

The Chippewas (12-18, 6-11 MAC) snapped a seven-game losing streak against Bowling Green (14-18, 8-9) and halted the Falcons' win streak at six games. The teams play the finale of their three-game series on Sunday (11 a.m.).

Hayden Bailey started for CMU and went six innings and then Max Hammond, Nate Ross and Jared Hanson each pitched an inning. They combined to strike out eight and walk three.

Bailey (1-2) got back-to-back strikeouts to strand two base runners in the first inning and repeated the feat in the second to leave a runner at second. He got a strikeout to end the fifth and leave the bases loaded.

His final line: Two hits, six strikeouts, three walks, seven Falcons left on base.

It was his first win of the season.

"He's got stuff to get punchouts when he needs it," CMU coach Jake Sabol said. "He stayed under control and he made some pitches, especially in hitter's counts when he was down 2-1, 3-1 and got some weak contact and you need that. If you're going to put up a bunch of zeros, you need to get some bad swings in hitter's counts. He did a lot of that today. He made pitches when he needed to. It was fun to watch him do his thing."

It was Bailey's fifth consecutive start in which he has gone at least 5 2/3 innings. His earned run average in those five starts covering 33 innings is 2.45 and stands at 4.50 for the season. Before his recent streak of five starts, his ERA was 8.31.

"He's stacked some really good outings," Sabol said. "He's just pitching. Early in the year he was trying to be this 92-and-94 mph guy and strike everybody out and that's not who he is.

"You've got to pitch a little bit. These hitters are too good to think you're just going to roll out there and get a bunch of outs without being prepared and doing the things you're supposed to do.

"We had a couple of conversations with him that he has to work ahead more, he has to be down in the zone, he has to be able to locate his fastball, and I think that's been a big help for him, just understanding that this is who he is. That was a key thing for us to get him to really buy into."

Hammond and Ross set the Falcons down in order in the seventh and eighth, respectively. Hanson surrendered a leadoff single in the ninth and then retired the next three batters in order.

It was, arguably, the bullpen's best performance of the season. Combined with Bailey's start, it was as good as CMU has been on the mound in 2026.

"All of those guys are more than capable, and they were all really good today, and they've all gotten plenty of chances late in games to go take it," Sabol said. "We've kind of been playing musical chairs (in the bullpen) a little bit to figure out who's going to do it.

"Yes, they've got to believe it and having some success will hopefully build that confidence a little bit for somebody else tomorrow."

Falcon starter Ethan Stade (2-3) looked untouchable early, striking out six of the first eight batters he faced.

Drew Loikits, CMU's No. 9 hitter, doubled with one out in the third for the Chippewas' first hit. Bryson Webb then bunted for a single and Loikits scored on a throwing error on the play.

Harrison Bowman followed with a two-run homer – his team-leading ninth round-tripper of the season – to put the Chippewas up, 3-0.

"We just found ways and I think that's what good teams do," Sabol said. "He punched us out a bunch in the first two innings and we found a way to get a baserunner and we executed in the short game on Bryson's bunt for a hit. We got it to Bowman and he put a good swing on it. That's what good teams do.

"You can't just let the guy roll through your lineup two or three times without making adjustments; you need your best players to step up and produce for you."

The Chippewas added a run in the sixth when Cole Prout doubled with one out, stole third, and scored on a Brady Krzciok bunt. They got their final run in the seventh when Loikits was hit by a pitch with two out and scored on a Webb double.