Box Score

DeKalb, IL - The University of Toledo baseball team split a doubleheader at Northern Illinois Saturday. The Rockets won the first game, 15-9, and lost a 17-5 decision in the nightcap at Ralph McKinzie Field in DeKalb, IL.

With the split, Toledo stays three games ahead of Northern Illinois in the MAC West Division at 7-11, while its overall mark is 22-23. The Huskies, who snapped their five-game losing streak with the win in game two, are 21-23 overall with a 4-14 Mid-American Conference record.

In the opener, Toledo exploded for 13 runs in the first four innings to cruise to the six-run win. Fueling the Rocket offense was freshman Mitch Maier, who finished 5-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI. Included in the five hits for the Novi, MI native were a pair of triples. In today's first game alone, UT collected five triples.

Also providing a spark was junior Jay Juras, who was 2-for-3 with five RBI. Juras had a two-run triple in the first, a two-run single in the second and a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

UT senior hurler Shawn Wilson went the distance in game one to even his overall record at 4-4. The complete game was Wilson's third this season.

In the second game, Toledo jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first only to have Northern Illinois score 17 unanswered runs. UT plated its last two runs in the eighth to make the final 17-5.

Junior Mike Meinhart led Toledo offensively going 3-for-4, while sophomore Phil Pilewski finished with a pair of hits.

Freshman Nick Szczur (2-4) started for the Rockets and was tagged with the loss, after giving up seven runs on seven hits in three innings of work.

The two teams will wrap up their four-game series on Sunday at Ralph McKinzie Field at 1:00 p.m.