Sports

Bowling Green Caps Improbable Run To MAC Title


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Ball State’s impressive run through the 2013 Mid-American Conference Tournament came to a screeching halt Sunday afternoon. No. 6 seed Bowling Green defeated the No. 4 seed Cardinals 7-0 in the MAC Championship Game.

Bowling Green starter Nick Bruns pitched a complete game shutout, improving to 6-2 on the season. Bruns gave up just four hits and one walk while striking out four in a dominating performance. Bruns was awarded the MAC Tournament MVP after the game for his strong performance this past week.

Both starting pitchers were in control through the first four innings with the game tied at 0-0. But Cardinals’ starter Scott Baker was knocked around in the top of the fifth. In his worst outing of the season the Cardinals’ ace gave up six runs, five earned, in the top of the fifth. He was replaced before retiring a single batter in the inning. Bowling Green managed to tack on another run before the inning was over, increasing its lead to 7-0. Baker (12-2) picked up just his second loss on the season.

All together the Falcons’ offense combined for 13 hits, with seven different batters notching an RBI. The Cardinals’ offense, locked down by Bruns, struggled to put anything together. No Cardinals batter earned more than one hit in the game.

The win caps off an impressive tournament run by the Falcons. They upset No. 3 seed Northern Illinois in the first round and beat No. 7 seed Toledo in two out of the next three rounds before advancing to the MAC Championship Game.