University of Toledo
Youngstown State
Toledo Runs Past Youngstown State, 14-3
4/23/2003 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
NILES, OH - Toledo (14-19) ran its non-conference winning at eight straight Wednesday afternoon claiming a 14-3 victory over Youngstown State (19-18) at extremely cold and windy Cafaro Field.
The Rockets pounded out 13 hits off seven Penguin pitchers. Seven of the nine UT starters collected a base hit and scored a run. Juniors Sean Dobson (3-for-5, two runs scored, two RBI) and Mitch Maier (3-for-5, three runs scored, two RBI) led UT offensively with three hits apiece, while seniors J.D. Foust (2-for-5, two runs scored, two RBI) and Phil Pilewski (2-for-4, three RBI, run scored) had multi-hit contests.
Toledo opened its scoring tallying five runs in the fourth off YSU reliever and eventual losing pitcher Brian Boone (0-1). Senior Taylor Eckel and Maier led off the frame with back-to-back walks. Then Foust, junior Shawn Hurst and Pilewski pounded out consecutive singles to give the Rockets a 3-0 lead. After yielding another walk, Boone was yanked for Mike Hosterman, who fanned his first two batters he faced, before surrendering a two-run single to center by Dobson to finish off the scoring in the inning.
In the fifth Toledo increased its lead to 6-0. Maier led off the frame with a walk. The Novi, MI native then stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by the YSU catcher and scored on Foust's single through the left side.
Youngstown State scored an unearned run in the sixth inning off UT reliever Kurt Woeste to begin to chip away at the Toledo lead. With a runner on second base, pinch-hitter Tim Stacey hit a roller to UT freshman third basemen Dan Stong that slid underneath his glove and allowed Adam Cox, who had walked earlier in the frame, to score all the way from second.
Youngstown State then scored two more runs in the seventh off UT relievers Woeste and senior LHP Ian Baltzer on RBI singles from Charles Schultz and Jim Lipinski to pull within three, 6-3. The Penguins had a chance to cut further into the lead with runners on the corners and only one out, but YSU's Cox lined out to right fielder Aaron Rouser, who promptly picked off Lipinski who had wandered too far off first base ending the rally.
The Rockets built off the momentum and scored six runs on four hits in the next half inning sending 10 batters to the plate. UT also benefited by three walks and a YSU error in the frame. The big hit in the inning was a two-run single by Pilewski. Also collecting RBI's in the frame were Eckel and Maier. UT also scored a pair of runs on wild pitches.
Toledo finished off its scoring in the ninth on RBI's by Eckel and Maier to make the final, 14-3.
Mitch Hayes (1-3) made his first career start, throwing five scoreless innings. Hayes limited the Penguins to two hits with two strikeouts to earn his first victory since the 2001 season.
Toledo will continue its Mid-American Conference schedule on Friday, April 25, when the Rockets begin a four-game series in Ypsilanti, MI against Eastern Michigan. The first pitch is slated for 7:00 p.m.
