University of Toledo
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Toledo Swept By Central Michigan in Doubleheader
4/19/2003 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
TOLEDO, OH - Toledo (12-18, 2-9 MAC) dropped a pair of contests, 20-14 and 6-3, this afternoon in a doubleheader against Central Michigan (14-18, 4-5 MAC) at Scott Park.
In Game One, Central Michigan scored 10 runs in its final at-bat in the seventh inning to erase a two-run deficit for the come-from-behind victory. In the nightcap, CMU's Joey Fahndrich scattered 12 hits and went the distance stymieing the Rockets' bats.
For the second-straight game, Central Michigan jumped out quickly scoring five runs in today's first contest in the first inning. CMU's Ryan Krueger opened with a bunt single, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Jim Geldhof's single to center. Tommy Grubb then doubled in Geldhof and Mike Gates was hit by a pitch. Brian Lautzenheiser then singled in Grubb and Gates scored on a single by Brian Campbell that chased UT starter RHP Ben Lovell. Chase Welker drove in Campbell with the fifth run of the inning.
The Rockets responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the frame on an RBI by senior Phil Pilewski and tallied their second run on a throwing error by CMU catcher Brian Campbell to make the score, 5-2.
After CMU put a run on the board in the second, UT started to claw its way back into the game with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the half inning to make the score, 6-4. Senior 2B Taylor Eckel hit a single to drive in junior DH Sean Hurst, and two batters later senior J.D. Foust belted a single to plate junior CF Sean Dobson.
Central Michigan added to its cause in the third plating a single run, before Toledo put five on the board in the bottom of the inning to send CMU starter T.J. Johnson to the showers. Big hits included a two-run homer by Hurst, followed by a solo blast from junior SS Chris Arvay. Eckel and junior C Mitch Maier then hit back-to-back doubles to give UT its first lead of the game, 9-7.
CMU tied it at 9-9 in the fifth, scoring twice with two outs. Jim Geldhof singled and scored on Grubb's double off the fence in center. Grubb then scored on Gates' single to right.
Toledo retook the lead, 10-9, in the fifth scoring an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by Foust without the benefit of a hit.
The lead was shortlived, though, when CMU's Campbell singled, moved to second when LaFavors walked, to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Krueger's sacrifice fly to tie it at 10-10.
Toledo scored four times in the bottom of the sixth and took a seemingly comfortable 14-10 margin into the seventh. Freshman 3B Dan Stong hit a single to drive in Hurst and make it a 11-10 game. Eckel hit a two-run single and Maier had a sacrifice fly.
Unfortunately for the Midnight Blue and Gold, the wheels fell off in the seventh as the Chippewas batted around for the second time in the game and scored nine of their 10 runs with two outs. CMUs Grubb led off with an opposite-field homer, but the next two Chippewas went down in order. Dan Griesbaum's pinch-hit started the floodgates. Big hits in the frame were a two-run single by Grubb and a pinch-hit grand slam by Derek Schaller to cap the first-game victory.
LHP Ryan Valek (0-1) was tagged with loss. Valek, one of seven pitchers used by the Rockets, surrendered seven runs in one inning of work. CMU's David LeMieux's (3-0) was credited the victory, throwing the final three innings, while UT sophomore
In the second game, runs did not come quite so easily for either team as had been the case in the first two games of the series.
UT scored single runs in the second and in the third. The Chippewas matched those runs with solo runs of their own in the second and third, and it stayed 2-2 through four.
Central Michigan broke the tie with two runs in the fifth. The big blow was a double down the leftfield line by CMU's David Latour. Foust made a galiant effort on the ball running to his right and got his glove on it, but the Norwood, OH native was unable to haul it in and the double put the visitors up by a 4-2 margin.
CMU extended the lead to 6-2 with a pair of runs in the eighth on RBI's by Gotwalt and Welker.
Toledo scored a first run in the ninth on a bases loaded walk, but the rally ended as CMU turned a game-ending double play to make the final, 6-3.
Hurst (0-2) suffered the loss throwing eight-plus innings, allowing the six runs on 11 hits. He walked three and fanned six.CMU's Joey Fahndrich scattered 12 hits and allowed three earned runs in improving his record to 1-4.
Eckel led Toledo offensively during the doubleheader with six hits and four RBI.
The two teams will wrap up their series tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for 2:00 p.m., but was moved up due to the threat of rain in the weather forecast.
