University of Toledo
Grand Valley State
Toledo Loses Pair to Grand Valley State
4/18/2004 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
TOLEDO, OH - Toledo (9-23) was swept in a pair of non-conference games against Grand Valley State (30-12) today at Scott Park. The Rockets dropped a 10-5 decision in eight innings in the opener before falling by the exact same margin in the nightcap.
In game one, the Lakers scored five runs in the eighth on the strength of a two-run home run by Mike Wright and a three-run round-tripper by Scott Allen to prevail in extra innings.
Grand Valley State set the tone early in today's first contest, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after two-and-half innings.
In the bottom of the third, though, Toledo cut the lead in half when senior RF Aaron Rouser drilled a two-run home run, scoring junior 2B Matt Ruth, who led off the inning with a bunt single.
The Rockets proceeded to make the score 4-3 in the fourth. With runners on first and third, freshman DH Dustin Summer grounded into a double play, but sophomore C Nick Lance scored on the play to make it a one-run game.
After GVSU increased its lead to 5-3 in the top of the seventh, the Rockets mounted an attack in the bottom half of the frame, tallying a pair of runs on four hits. A bases loaded walk to senior SS Chris Arvay and an infield single by Lance tied the score at 5-5 and sent the game into extra innings.
GVSU's reliever Joe Finnerty (3-0) was credited with the victory, throwing 1.1 scoreless innings allowing two hits. Junior Nick Szczur (1-3) suffered the loss for the Midnight Blue and Gold, allowing seven runs on nine hits with five strikeouts in 7.1 innings.
Senior 1B Doug Yoder (3-for-4) paced the Rockets' 15-hit attack in today's first contest, while Matt Ruth (2-for-4, run scored), sophomore 3B Dan Stong (2-for-4, run scored) and Lance (2-for-3, RBI, run scored) each collected multi-hit contests.
In today's second contest, Grand Valley State again scored in its first at-bat, plating a pair of runs on a RBI double by Allen and a balk by UT starter Kurt Woeste scored him from third.
Toledo quickly retaliated with a run on a bases-loaded wild pitch by GVSU starter Marty Jackimowicz in the bottom of the first.
The Rockets then captured their first lead in the series in the bottom of the second inning, when Rouser belted his second home run of the day and his team-leading sixth of the season, a two-run shot, to center field.
In the top of the fifth, though, the wheel fell off the wagon for the Rockets as GVSU scored five runs on five hits with the aid of a UT error to complete the weekend sweep. After Grand Valley tied the score at 3-3 on a RBI single by Scott Smith, Woeste and the Rockets looked to be in control. With two outs in the frame, Lakers' Tim Hudnall hit a grounder back to Woeste, but the junior's throw to first eluded UT first basemen Yoder and opened the floodgates. The next six batters reached base to chase Woeste.
Toledo managed to cut the lead to 7-5 in the sixth on a two-run single up the middle by Ruth but could get no closer. Arvay and pinch hitter Sommer both reached base on infield errors and came around to score on Ruth's fourth hit in today's two contests. The Rockets had their opportunities to get even closer putting runners on first and third with one out, but GVSU reliever Phil Mixter came in and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the rally.
Grand Valley State finished off the scoring in the seventh, plating three insurance runs off UT sophomore reliever Mike Wagner to make the final 10-5.
Jackimowicz (2-2) earned the victory for the Lakers, allowing five runs on five hits with six strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Mixter threw the final 1.2 innings to collect his first save of the season.
Woeste (1-5) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work. Only one of the seven runs given up by Woeste was earned.
Arvay (2-for-4, run scored) and Ruth (2-for-3, 2 RBI, run scored) led UT offensively in today's nightcap.
Toledo returns to action on Tuesday, April 20, when the Rockets host Cleveland State in non-conference action. The first pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Scott Park.
