Bluegrassrivals

Bowling Green baseball coach Dan Mosier expects runs to be at a premium for the Purples this season after the transition to BBCOR bats.
The new bats have been proven to decrease offensive production at the collegiate level, but the Purples were able to scrap together a couple of runs at the right time Monday.
Bowling Green (1-0) rallied late against Franklin-Simpson, earning a 2-1 victory in eight innings with two hits at BGHS.
“Everybody’s got a long way to go offensively to make the adjustment, and we’ve got to do a better job offensively than we did tonight,” Mosier said. “You’re going to see low-scoring games, and errors and walks are going to be even more magnified. The more you help people score, that’s what’s going to create innings.”
Neither of the Purples’ hits drove in a run, but they drew seven walks and capitalized on two FSHS errors in the bottom of the eighth.
“We kept scrapping and trying to get some walks so we could score any way we can,” BGHS senior Derrick Brock said.
The Purples allowed their lone run in the top of the fourth inning, when Franklin-Simpson senior Zack Thomas drove in senior Brandon Johnson with an RBI single after two BG errors.
FSHS senior pitcher Dalton James limited the Purples to two hits in 51⁄3 innings of work before leaving the game with an elbow injury. James also went 2-for-4 at the plate.
The Wildcats’ relief pitchers gave up six walks after that, and BG rallied without recording another hit.
Senior Sam Wilson scored in the bottom of the sixth after senior Houston Natcher reached base on a fielder’s choice, and junior Ben Morrison scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth after an FSHS throwing error on a ground ball by Brock.
“That one play didn’t necessarily get us beat,” FSHS coach Craig Delk said. “We left a lot of runners on tonight. If we could have pushed one more across, I think it could have been the difference in the ballgame because I don’t think they were expecting it to be this competitive.
“We got to walking guys late, and that put pressure on our defense for mistakes to happen.”
Brock earned the win on the mound, striking out four batters in three innings. He relieved senior Jackson Sowell, who struck out five and allowed three hits in five innings pitched.
“Pitching should be one of our strengths,” Mosier said. “I was really pleased with it. We were throwing strikes, and other than a couple of miscues, the defense was pretty good. It really came down to having the table set and not being able to get that key hit.”
Sophomore Reed Caudill took the loss for the Wildcats (1-1).
Bowling Green paid tribute in a pregame ceremony to Benton Page, a former player who graduated in 2011 and died in a car wreck in August.
The Purples wore “9” – Page’s playing number – on the backs of their hats, and after a moment of silence, the team’s nine seniors each released a symbolic balloon from the pitcher’s mound.
“This was for Benton,” Brock said. “That’s our brother we lost last year, and I’m glad we pulled this out for him.”
Bowling Green plays at Logan County at 5 p.m. Thursday. Franklin-Simpson visits South Warren at 5 p.m. today.
FSHS 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1
BGHS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 2