University of Toledo
Youngstown State
Toledo Falls in Dramatic Loss To Youngstown State, 7-6
5/14/2003 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
TOLEDO, OH - Youngstown State scored four runs in the ninth inning on Wednesday afternoon to stage a come-from-behind 7-6 victory over Toledo in non-conference action at Scott Park.
Today's setback snaps UT's (20-27) 10-game non-conference winning streak, which included a 14-3 victory over the Penguins (25-25) on April 23 in Niles.
Youngstown State got a solo home run from Brian Boone and a three-run blast by Brandon Caipen off UT sophomore reliever Ben Lovell to forge the comeback.
Despite the loss, the Rockets outhit the Penguins, 9-6, and blasted three home runs compared to the visitors two. UT junior Mitch Maier led the way offensively going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored, while senior Phil Pilewski finished 2-for-3.
Caipen had a career day for the Penguins finishing 3-for-5 with a career-best six RBI.
Toledo scored the game's first runs in its initial at-bat on a two-run homer by Maier. Dobson led off with a walk. He advanced to second on a perfectly-executed sacrifice bunt by senior Taylor Eckel and onto third on a wild pitch by Dennis. He then scored on Maier's team-leading ninth home run of the season.
The Rockets increased their lead to 3-0 in the third on a sacrifice fly by Maier. Dobson again led off the frame with a walk. On the very next play, he advanced to third on a hit-and-run single by Eckel and eventually came around to score on Maier's team-leading 56th RBI. The 56 RBI is a new single season UT record, surpassing fellow catcher Mike Ernst's 54 RBI in 2000.
Toledo continued to pour it on in the fourth as its lead ballooned to 4-0 on junior Chris Arvay's fourth home run of the season.
Youngstown State finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth cutting the lead to 4-3 on a bases-clearing double by the leftfield line by Caipen. The Penguins were aided in the frame by two hit batsmen by UT junior reliever Raul Lopez and a fielding error.
Toledo closed out its scoring in the seventh registering a pair of runs on a two-run home run by Dobson. Freshman Dan Stong led off with a single and Dobson followed with his third round-tripper of the season, which sent YSU starter Dennis to the showers and set the table for a dramatic finish.
Lovell (3-4), the seventh of eight pitchers used by the Rockets, was tagged with the loss. The Monroe, MI native surrendered four runs on three hits in 0.2 innings of work.
YSU's Justin Thomas (5-5) was credited with the victory working three scoreless innings of relief in place of the starter Dennis.
Toledo returns to action this weekend, May 16-18, to wrap-up its regular season against arch-rival Bowling Green. Friday's single game will begin at 3:00 p.m. at Scott Park, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1:00 p.m. at Warren E. Stellar Field. The series finale will take place on Sunday at Fifth Third Field as part of the second-annual Northwest Ohio Baseball Classic sponsored by Job1USA starting at 2:00 p.m.
