Final Stats
TOLEDO, OH - Toledo dropped a 9-7 decision to Butler on Saturday afternoon at Scott Park. The loss snaps a season-best three-game win streak and drops the Rockets to 11-22 on the season.
Senior RHP Ben Lovell (0-3) took the loss in relief, allowing four runs on four hits in only 0.1 inning of work. UT did receive a good start from LHP Joe Welsh, who surrendered three runs (two earned) on seven hits with four strikeouts in 6.0 six innings.
Juniors SS Jason Watson (2-for-3, 2 runs scored, RBI) and 3B Dan Stong (2-for-5, RBI) and sophomore RF Joel Visser (2-for-5, RBI) led the Rockets with multi-hit contests.
Bryan Bokowy (1-3), the second of three pitchers utilized by the Bulldogs, was credited with the victory. Bokowy threw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief duty
Dale Mueller (3-for-4, 2 runs scored) and Matt Martino (3-for-5, 2 runs scored) paced the Bulldogs with three hits apiece.
Butler opened the scoring in the second inning, plating two runs on two hits and the aid of a UT error. With runners on first and second and one out, Joe Pauley singled to right field to drive in the game's initial run. The very next batter, Brandon Tormoehlen laid down a suicide squeeze bunt attempt to Welsh, but the Kalamazoo, MI native's throw to the plate sailed over UT catcher Sean Boley's head allowing the Bulldogs to increase their lead to 2-0. BU had the opportunity to do more damage in the frame, but for the second-consecutive inning, UT turned a double play to end the rally.
The score would remain the same until fifth when Toledo finally broke through with its first run on a solo home run to left-center by Watson. The Sturgis, MI native now leads the team with five round-trippers on the season.
Butler looked to get the run back in the sixth as the Bulldogs had runners on first and second with one out, but Welsh received his fourth double play of the afternoon to halt any threat of a rally.
Toledo continued to fight and tied the score 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run home run by freshman Drew Hoisington. Stong led off with a single up the middle, before Hoisington belted his first collegiate blast over the wall in left-center.
The Rockets fought all the way back and captured the lead in the seventh with two runs on two hits. Sean Boley was hit by a pitch and pinch run for by redshirt freshman Dawson Chandler to start the rally. After a walk by Watson put two runners on, Visser singled up the middle to plate Chandler and give UT its first of the lead of the game. Stong then doubled into the gap into left-center to score Watson and make the score, 5-3.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, the wheels fell off the wagon. The Bulldogs registered six runs on six hits including three pinch hit doubles by Joe Dempsey, Dustin Bucalo and Matt Ferguson to establish a four-run cushion.
UT was able to muster two runs in the ninth, but it was not enough as the teams split their two-game series.
Toledo returns to action tomorrow when it hosts IPFW in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m.
