Rochester, Mich. – Moving above .500 for the first time since February 25 and improving to 2-0 against Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponents this season, Oakland defeated Bowling Green, 3-2, on Tuesday, April 5.

The Golden Grizzlies now stand at 14-13, including a 6-3 mark in Horizon League play, and have won seven of their last eight games.

Like the April 2 victory over Youngstown State, Oakland received a terrific outing from their starting pitcher as graduate student right-hander Quinton Kujawa tossed five shutout innings of one-hit, four-strikeout baseball in his first start of the season.

Through three appearances this year, which span seven innings, Kujawa has yet to allow a run or issue a walk.

Kujawa's impressive performance did not result in him earning a win, however, as the Golden Grizzlies did not take the lead for good until the eighth inning when the Falcons misplayed a pop-up off the bat of graduate student second baseman Brad Goulet, allowing senior first baseman Gabe Lux to score the decisive run.

Oakland's first two runs came on a two-run home run by freshman designated hitter Brandon Nigh in the fourth inning, his team-leading sixth of the season.

Now 2-1 on the campaign, sophomore righty Ben Paugh picked up the win by coming in to record the final out of the seventh and remaining out there until departing with one out in the ninth. Nigh retired the last two Bowling Green hitters to register the first save of his collegiate career.

Right-handed sophomore reliever Isaiah Seidel was the losing pitcher for the Falcons, giving up one run on three hits over 3.2 innings with six strikeouts.

Up next
The Golden Grizzlies will hit the road for the first time since their March 30 victory over Michigan by making the trip to UIC for a three-game set from Friday, April 8-Sunday, April 10.

In what will be Oakland's fourth league series of the season, Friday's game will begin at 5:05 p.m., Saturday at 3:05 p.m., and the Sunday finale at 2:05 p.m.