University of Toledo
IPFW
Toledo Prevails at IPFW, 7-4
4/13/2005 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
FORT WAYNE, IN - Toledo (10-21) recorded a hard-fought 7-4 victory against IPFW (14-12) on Wednesday afternoon at Mastodons Field.
The Rockets pounded out a season-high 16 hits against five IPFW hurlers. Freshmen 2B Scott Boley (4-for-5, two runs scored) C Sean Boley (3-for-3, RBI) and LF Jake Swint (2-for-5, RBI), sophomore 1B Ryan Laude (3-for-4, RBI) and senior DH Dan Ruth (2-for-4, two runs scored) paved the way with multi-hit contests. It was UT's first four-hit contest of the season.
Sophomore RHP Greg Gompf (4-1), the third of four UT pitchers utilizied, captured the win in relief. Gompf threw 2.2 innings allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits with three strikeouts. Junior LHP Joe Welsh made a controlled start and tossed two scoreless innings. Freshman RHP Mike Ellis came on and tossed 3.0 solid innings allowing a run without issuing a hit and three strikeouts. Senior RHP Ben Lovell threw the final 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to collect his team-leading fourth save of the season.
Toledo opened the scoring in the second tallying two runs on three hits. The Rockets were also aided by two IPFW errors in the frame. Ruth led off hitting a ball to IPFW second baseman Brandon Armstrong, but his throw to first base sailed into the home team's dugout, allowing Ruth to advance to second. After a single by Scott Boley put runners on the corners, junior 3B Dan Stong came to the plate and hit a ground ball to IPFW third baseman Tyler Fowler, whose throw also sailed high and allowed Ruth to score the game's initial run and Boley to take third on the play. Laude promptly connected on the first of his three hits through the left side to drive in Boley and make the score 2-0.
IPFW cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Sean Kirk, who finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a run scored.
In the sixth, UT plated a tally on a run-scoring groundout by Stong. Ruth and Scott Boley led off with back to back singles to put runners on the corners with no outs and send IPFW starter Eric Lambert to the showers. Stong then hit into a double play, but Ruth was able to score and increase UT's lead to 3-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, IPFW tied the score at 3-3 off Gompf without registering a hit in the inning. With one out, Dustin Fremion drew a walk and stole second. Ryan Keena then hit a grounder to first baseman Laude, whose toss to Gompf at first was wide allowing Fremion to score and Keena to advance to second. Keena then stole third, but UT catcher Sean Boley's throw to third sailed wide of the bag into left field and let him score the game-tying run.
Toledo broke the game open in the eighth with four runs on five hits. Scott Boley led off with a single through the left side and advanced to second on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Stong. After another single up the middle by Laude put runners on the corners, Sean Boley tallied a RBI infield single, plating his twin brother. Lately in the inning, freshman lF Jake Swint ripped a double down the right field line scoring Laude, followed closely by a two-run single by Visser which gave UT a 7-3 cushion.
IPFW tallied a single run in the eighth and had the bases loaded in the final two frames, but Lovell came in and stopped the rally to make the final, 7-4.
Toledo returns to action on Friday, April 15 when it hosts Butler in non-conference action at Scott Park. The first pitch from Scott Park is slated for 3:00 p.m.
