BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (Interstat) — Lance Vickers delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap a three-run rally and lift the Bowling Green Falcons to a 5-4 victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas in a Mid-American Conference baseball opener Friday at Warren E. Steller Field.

The Falcons, who improved to 12-14 overall and 1-0 in the MAC, erased a 4-2 deficit in their final at-bat. The comeback spoiled a strong start by Central Michigan’s Tyson Potts and handed the Chippewas (10-18, 0-1) their fourth loss in five games.

Central Michigan carried a 4-3 lead into the eighth after Joey Milto hit a solo home run off reliever Ty Roder in the top of the inning. The Chippewas turned to reliever Cameron Niehaus, who loaded the bases by hitting two batters and allowing a single. With two outs, Vickers, the Falcons’ designated hitter, hit a sharp grounder up the middle that scored Griffin Scheiderer and Alex Laird to give Bowling Green its first lead of the game at 5-4.

Vickers finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs. His first-inning walk preceded an unearned run that put Bowling Green on the board, and he drove in another run with a single in the second.

The late rally made a winner of Roder, who worked two innings of relief, allowing two hits and one run while striking out two. Titus Lotz earned the save by striking out two in a scoreless ninth, stranding the potential tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position.

Central Michigan built its lead with a pair of runs in the fifth and another in the sixth. In the fifth, Zach Knowlton’s two-run single to right-center scored Brady Krzciok and Miguel Correa Jr., the latter run unearned due to an error. In the sixth, Logan Keilen executed a double steal of home to push the lead to 4-2.

Potts was dominant for the Chippewas, allowing just two unearned runs on no hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out two. The Falcons did not record a hit against Potts, with their first two runs scoring on an error and a fielder’s choice. Jack Potteiger followed with a scoreless seventh before the Falcons broke through in the eighth.

Bowling Green starter Carrson SOVA, named the team’s top star, kept his team in the game with five solid innings. He allowed one earned run on three hits, walking two and striking out two. His effort helped offset a Falcons offense that was held hitless until the sixth inning.

Alex Laird went 1 for 3 with an RBI for Bowling Green. For Central Michigan, Cole Prout had two of the team’s seven hits.

The victory aligned with the pregame projection from Interstat, whose game simulator predicted a 5-3 Bowling Green win. The Falcons were given a 56.90 percent probability to win by the service’s ELO system.

The two teams continue their three-game series Saturday afternoon.