University of Toledo
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Toledo Loses at Eastern Michigan in Series Opener, 8-4
4/22/2005 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
YPSILANTI, MI - Toledo (12-26, 2-8 MAC) dropped an 8-4 decision at Eastern Michigan (13-23, 3-7 MAC) on Friday night in its Mid-American Conference series opener at Oestrike Stadium. The Eagles scored eight-unanswered runs to hand the Rockets their fourth-consecutive loss.
Senior RHP Nick Szczur (4-4) was tagged with the loss. Szczur went seven-plus innings, allowing all eight runs (six earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts. Senior RHP Ben Lovell tossed the final frame with a pair of strikeouts.
Eastern Michigan hurler Matt Dimich (3-4) limited the Rockets to six hits and tossed a complete game. Dimich walked three and recorded four strikeouts.
Jeff Davis (3-for-5, 2 runs scored, RBI) and Ryan Arnett (1-for-3, 2 runs scored, 3 RBI) fueled the EMU offense attack against the Midnight Blue and Gold.
Toledo jumped out of the gates and scored two runs in its first at-bat on only one hit and the aid of three EMU errors. Sophomore RF Joel Visser led off the game with a four-pitch walk. After junior SS Jason Watson flew out to center field, freshman CF Drew Hoisington hit a ground ball to EMU second basemen Josh Ivan, but his throw to second base sailed wide of the bag and allowed the runners to take first and third on the play. Senior C Dan Ruth then laced a single through the left side for a run-scoring single. On the play, EMU left fielder Isaiah Gainforth fumbled the ball for the second error of the frame and again the Rockets had first and third. On the ensuing at-bat, Dimich's attempted a pick off attempt at first base, which ended up down the right field line and scored Hoisington to make the score 2-0.
The Rockets doubled its lead in the sixth on a two-run single by junior 1B Travis Pilewski. The first three UT batters reached base, before Pilewski laced a hit just inside the left-field line for his 16th and 17th RBI of the season.
As quickly as the Rockets had built a four-run cushion, EMU erased it in the bottom of the sixth with four runs and the aid of two UT errors. The big blow in the frame was a three-run home run to right by Arnett.
The Eagles claimed the lead for good in the following inning, plating two runs on two hits. With one out, Ivan singled and scored the go-ahead run on a double by Davis just over the out-stretched glove of UT right fielder Visser. Visser quickly recovered and came up throwing trying to cut down Ivan at the plate, but his throw was a touch late and let Ivan slide underneath the tag and score. Davis was also able to take third base on Visser's throw to the plate, and he would score EMU's sixth run on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Ben Jones.
EMU finished off the scoring with two insurance runs in the eighth to make the final, 8-4.
The two teams will continue their three-game series tomorrow beginning at 5:00 p.m.
