May 17, 2002

Bowling Green, Ohio - Behind an 18-hit attack Bowling Green State University downed the University of Akron 15-11 in a Mid-American Conference baseball game Friday afternoon at Warren Steller Field.

With the win the Falcons improved to 28-20 and 15-7 in MAC conference play, while the Zips fell to 18-30 and 8-16 in league action.

After the Zips plated six runs in the top of the sixth inning, Bowling Green answered with four in the bottom half of the frame off starter Ben McCauley to take a 12-10 lead. Corey Loomis, who was 3-for-5 with three RBI, hit a run-scoring double. The next batter, Kelly Hunt, who was also 3-for-5, smashed a two-run homerun to left field. Two batters later, Len Elias scored Nick Elrod with an RBI single.

Akron scored an unearned run in the top of the seventh to close to within a run, but the Falcons added one in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch and two more in the eighth, the first on a throwing error by catcher Jim Bonnette and the second on a sacrifice fly by Andy Hudak.

The Zips took a 3-1 lead in the third off Falcons' starter Doug Flere when Brady Steineck's groundout knocked in Ryan Brickwood, and Tom Lindhe, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI, followed with a run-scoring single.

The Falcons answered with three runs one-half inning later before Dan Swallie hit a solo homerun in the fifth. For Swallie it was his team-high 12th homer of the season, which is tied for second on the Zips' all-time single-season list and two shy of the school record.

After Bowling Green jumped out to an 8-4 advantage by plating four in the bottom of the fifth, the Zips took their final lead of the game with their six-run rally in the sixth off reliever Ryan Lindquist. Lindhe and Lou Pederi keyed the uprising with a pair of two-run singles.

Despite yielding seven runs in three and one-third innings of work, Lindquist (4-2) was credited with the win, while McCauley suffered the loss and dropped to 5-7 on the season after surrendered 11 earned runs in six innings of work. Neil Schmitz picked up his sixth save of the season with two and one-third innings of shutout relief.

The four-game series continues Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.