Box Score

DeKalb, IL - Toledo's Shawn Hurst made his first collegiate start Sunday and Northern Illinois gave the redshirt freshman a rude MAC reception scoring four runs and chasing him after one inning of work. The Huskies went on to claim a 12-6 victory over the Rockets at Ralph McKinzie Field in DeKalb, IL.

With today's victory, the Huskies forged a spilt of the four-game series as their record improves to 22-23 (5-14 MAC). For the second year in a row, the Rockets dropped the final two games of the series against Northern Illinois and UT falls to 7-12 in the MAC and 22-24 overall.

The Rockets fell behind early as the Huskies jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the bottom of the second inning.

UT attempted to rally though and clawed back with two runs in the third.

Junior Mike Meinhart accounted for the Rockets' first run with a one-out RBI single through the right side. One batter later, sophomore Phil Pilewski laced a double to left field, scoring freshman Mitch Maier and the Rockets looked to be back in the game only to have NIU respond with seven runs in the bottom of the frame. Capping the inning was a three-run home run by Noel Danielson.

The Rockets then tallied single runs in the fourth and fifth and a pair in the seventh to make the final, 12-6.

Pilewski led UT finishing the game 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI, while Meinhart was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Zach Minor (3-2) earned the win for the Huskies by allowing five hits and four runs in six innings.

UT steps out of conference for the final time this season as it hosts Cincinnati on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m., then return to conference action this weekend with a four-game against Western Michigan, also at Scott Park.