BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (Interstat) — Landon Price and three other Ohio pitchers combined on a six-hit shutout over the final six innings, and the Bobcats’ offense erupted for five runs in the sixth to claim a 7-3 victory over Bowling Green on Sunday afternoon at Warren E. Steller Field, securing a series win in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams.

The Bobcats (5-19, 2-1 MAC) overcame early control issues from starter AJ Dallmayer and a projected win probability of just 28.9 percent for Bowling Green (6-12, 1-2) according to Interstat’s ELO system to hand the Falcons their second straight loss after they took the series opener Friday night.

The most critical juncture of the game arrived in the top of the sixth inning with Ohio clinging to a 2-0 lead. The Bobcats broke the game open against Falcons starter Jackson Miller and reliever CJ Boudreaux, sending 10 men to the plate. The rally was fueled by five consecutive one-out hits. Cam Hill, who finished 4 for 5 with two runs scored, singled and later scored on Cam Bryant’s RBI single. Cam Boyd followed with another run-scoring single, and Taylor Harris delivered the biggest blow, a two-run double off Boudreaux that stretched the lead to 7-0. All five runs in the frame were charged to Miller, who took the loss after allowing six hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Bowling Green had its best chance early, loading the bases with one out in the third against Dallmayer. The Falcons plated two runs on an RBI single from Anthony Mitta and a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded by Zack Horky, cutting the deficit to 2-0. Dallmayer, however, escaped further damage with a strikeout and a foul out. He finished with five strikeouts but walked four and hit two batters over three innings.

The Bobcats’ bullpen then took over with dominance. Gaige Stuckey entered in the fourth and, despite allowing an inherited runner to score on a walk in the fifth, recorded five outs without allowing a hit. Ethan Stewart stranded the bases loaded to end the fifth inning, and Price closed the door over the final three frames. The right-hander, who had surrendered three earned runs in one-third of an inning in his previous appearance on March 13, was flawless Sunday. He allowed no hits and struck out two, retiring nine of the ten batters he faced to earn the save and solidify the win.

Ohio’s 13-hit attack was led by Hill’s four-hit day. Harris drove in two runs, while Dylan Shepherd and Boyd each added an RBI. For Bowling Green, Mitta went 2 for 5 with an RBI, and Andrew DiLodovico had two hits and scored twice. The Falcons left 11 runners on base.

The victory gave Ohio the series after the teams split the first two games. The Bobcats will look to build on the win when they travel to face Ball State next Friday to continue MAC play. Bowling Green heads to Northern Illinois for a three-game series starting the same day.