Following back-to-back losses in the first two games of its District 14 series with Warren East, the Bowling Green baseball team pushed them aside and played a different brand of baseball in Thursday’s finale.
Although the Raiders (14-5) captured the series victory, the Purples tallied nine hits while East committed three errors en route to a 6-1 win to avoid being swept.
Tyler Stahl went 2-for-4 on the day with two RBI while Logan Bowen had two hits and an RBI. On the mound for the Purples, Jackson Haga threw a complete game – allowing just four hits and one run with six strikeouts.
Bowling Green took control of the contest in the bottom of the first inning, scoring four runs off two hits and two errors. Bowen, Evan Spader, and Jay Buser all contributed in the Purples’ high-powered offensive frame.
In what snapped an eight-game winning streak, Warren East was carried by Davion Downey’s 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Andrew McWhorter, who replaced the Raiders’ starter Clay Wagoner on the mound, gave up five hits and no runs with three strikeouts in five innings.
The Raiders’ lone run came in the bottom of the seventh when pinch hitter Matt Mellencamp plated Tyler Jones.
East has a quick turnaround, as it travels to Nashville to take on Christ Presbyterian Academy Friday at 5 p.m. The Purples return to action Monday at 6 p.m. at Greenwood.
After Warren East went three and out to begin the game, Bowling Green had its bats working early.
Thanks to three hits and three Raiders errors, the Purples plated five runs in the bottom of the first inning to shake off its no-run outing in Wednesday’s game.
Luke Brown led off with a single and Stahl followed up with a triple to score him to begin the dominant frame for the Purples. Soon after, Bowen’s RBI groundout and a two-run triple by Spader quickly made it 4-0.
Before East was able to record three outs, another error on a overthrown ball to first base trying to get Buser out put BG up 5-0 after one.
Stahl struck again in the ensuing inning, hitting an RBI single into centerfield to increase his team’s advantage to six runs. Searching for answers following Stahl’s second RBI of the day, the Raiders were retired by the Bowling Green defense and continued to struggle offensively.
Downey recorded East’s second hit in the fourth, but the following WE batters weren’t able to get him home. It was wasn’t until the very last inning that the Raiders would have their first run cross the plate – and it wouldn’t be enough for a comeback.
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