Final Stats

TOLEDO, OH - Toledo (11-21) ran its winning streak to three straight on Friday afternoon with an 8-1 victory against Butler (10-20) at Scott Park.

Senior RHP Nick Szczur (4-3) was outstanding hurling his team-leading second complete game of the season and second in as many starts. Szczur limited the Bulldogs to nine hits and tied his career-high with nine strikeouts.

The Rockets' offense was also in tune and pounded out 12 hits. UT is now 8-3 this season when registering 10-plus hits in a game. Juniors Jason Watson (3-for-4, 2 runs scored) and Travis Pilewski (2-for-4, RBI), sophomore Joel Visser (2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored) and freshmen 2B Scott Boley (2-for-4, 2 runs scored) and LF Pat Rohrbaugh (2-for-4, 2 runs scored) paced the offense with multi-hit contests. Visser also tallied two RBI today to run his total to seven-straight games with at least two runs batted in.

BU's Craig Costello (2-4) was tagged with the loss, allowing six runs on nine hits in five innings. Rob Santoni led Butler's offense going 3-for-4 with a run scored.

After spotting Butler an early lead on a RBI infield single by Stephen Gill in the second inning, Toledo captured the advantage for good in the fifth with three runs on three hits. Watson, Rohrbaugh and Visser led off the frame with three consecutive singles to load the bases. Senior C Dan Ruth followed with a walk to bring home Watson and knot the score at 1-1. On the very next batter, Costello threw a wild pitch to score Rohrbaugh and give UT a lead it would not relinquish. The Rockets finished off the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly by Boley to make the tally, 3-1.

The Rockets broke the game open in the sixth with four runs on five hits to chase Costello. UT sent 10 batters to the plate with the big blow in the frame coming on a two-run single by Visser. Toledo added another run in the eighth to make the final, 8-1.

Despite receiving good pitching and clutch hitting from the Rockets, today's game was without a scary moment. In the second inning, BU's Gill lifted a fly ball down the left field line that caused UT LF Jake Swint to run into foul territory and hit the outfield wall injurying his wrist. Swint had to leave the game and did not return.

The two teams will wrap up their two-game series tomorrow beginning at noon.