Final Stats

TOLEDO, OH - Senior Phil Pilewski's RBI single capped a three-run eighth inning and broke a 7-7 deadlock to help propel Toledo to an 8-7 victory against NAIA power Bethel in non-conference action at Scott Park.

With one out in the eighth and runners on first and second, junior DH Mitch Maier drilled a double to left center driving in a pair of runs to tie the score for the first time since the opening inning. After the Pilots recorded the second out of the frame, Pilewski delivered the clutch hit to help the Rockets erase a four-run deficit just two innings earlier.

"This is a huge win for this team," Toledo Head Coach Joe Kruzel said. "Our guys got behind early and they never quit. They hung in there and when the opportunities presented themselves late in the game, they took full advantage."

Senior LHP Ian Baltzer (1-0), the fourth of five pitchers utilized by the Rockets, pitched two innings to relief work to pick up his first victory of the season. Sophomore RHP Kurt Woeste pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Bethel's Matt Beckett was tagged with the loss allowing three runs on two hits.

After spotting the Pilots in run in the top of the first, Toledo scored three runs in the bottom of the half inning off starting pitcher Corey Leppelmeier. The first four UT batters reached base with three of those players eventually coming around to score. The Rockets, who sent eight batters to the plate, pounded out three hits in the frame.

The Pilots quickly retaliated with three runs of its own in the second off on a bases loaded single by Nate Montiel, a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly by Javier Guevara to reclaim the lead, 4-3. Bethel pushed its lead to 7-3 heading into the eighth on a two-run blast by Tom Gifford and a solo blast to right by Marcel Guevara.

From there Toledo started to chip away at the lead scoring a pair of runs in the seventh inning on an RBI single by junior Chris Arvay and a RBI groundout by sophomore C Dan Ruth to make the score 7-5 and help set the table for Pilewski and Maier in the eighth.

Seven of the nine Toledo starters collected hits, including multiple hits contests from senior Jay Juras (2-for-5, one run), freshman Dan Stong (2-for-4), Eckel (2-for-4, two runs, one RBI) and Arvay (2-for-4, two RBI).

Toledo returns to action this weekend when the Midnight Blue and Gold open the Mid-American Conference season with a four-game series at Northern Illinois. The first pitch of Friday's single game is slated for 3:00 p.m.