Mount Pleasant, MI – Toledo dropped the first game of the series to Central Michigan (9-29, 4-6 MAC), 14-2, at ­Theunissen Stadium on Friday, April 22. Western Michigan scored 12 runs in the first three innings, and was held to two runs over the last six frames. With the loss, the Rockets drop to 8-30-1 and 3-7 in the Mid-American Conference.

Sophomore 3B/CF Brad Boss picked up an RBI during a one-for-four day with a walk and a single. Junior DH Jake Krupar reached twice with two walks and scored a run. Senior SS Deion Tansel also scored a run and walked once.
 
Junior LHP Steven Calhoun was tagged with the loss after allowing 10 earned runs (12 overall) to cross the plate in 3.0 innings. Calhoun fanned two batters during the outing. Freshman RHP Luke Schaefer pitched in relief and tossed a career-high 3.0 innings, and did not allow a run to score. Schaefer only allowed one batter to reach base on a walk during the outing. Junior RHP Jacob Britt made his collegiate pitching debut and struck out three batters.
 
Central Michigan put Toledo in an early hole with a six-run first inning. Daniel Jipping started the scoring with a double down the left field line to score Alex Borglin. A hit batsman, sacrifice fly, single to right field and single to left field would bring in five runs to give CMU a 6-0 advantage.
 
CMU added to its advantage in the second with a solo home run to center field from Jipping to make the game 7-0.
 
The Chippewas added used a Robert Greenman walk, a Zack McKinstry triple and a sacrifice fly from Jipping to add five runs and push the CMU advantage to 12-0.
 
Toledo cut the CMU advantage to 12-1 with a bases-loaded walk from Boss for his ninth RBI of the season.
 
Central Michigan extended its lead to 14-1 with a Morgan Oliver singles and McKinstry fielder's choice in the seventh.
 
Bollinger drove in Tansel in the eighth with a hard-hit ball to right-center field. The CMU center fielder committed an error on the play that allowed Bollinger to reach second base and made the game 14-2.
 
The Rockets will be back in action for game two on Saturday, April 23 at 2:05 p.m.
 
PITCHING
Calhoun (L, 8): 3.0 IP, 9 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 2 K, 2 BB
Schaefer: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 1 BB
Britt: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 2 BB