University of Toledo
WAYNE STATE
Toledo Outslugs Wayne State in Non-Conference Action, 18-8
4/11/2006 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
Final Stats
TOLEDO, OH - Toledo (15-12) blasted a season-high three home runs en route to an 18-8 victory over Wayne State (11-22) on Tuesday afternoon at sunny Scott Park.
The Rockets pounded out a season-high 22 hits off four WSU pitchers, including six for extra-bases. All nine UT starters collected a base hit, with six notching multi-hit efforts.
Senior Jason Watson (3-for-5, 4 RBI, 3 runs scored), junior Joel Visser (3-for-5, 2 runs scored, RBI), sophomore Jake Swint (3-for-4, 4 runs scored, RBI) and freshmen Josh Colliver (3-for-5, RBI) and Tom Stevison (3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored) led the offensive slugfest for the Midnight Blue and Gold with three hits apiece.
The Rockets also utilized five pitchers with freshman Dan Gatins (2-0) picking up the victory in relief. Gatins went 2.1 scoreless innings and allowed two hits with four strikeouts.
After spotting Wayne State a 2-0 lead to open the game, Toledo responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first frame. Visser reached base on a fielding error and a single by Swint put both runners in scoring position. Watson drove in UT's first run with a RBI groundout and Scott Boley followed with a sacrifice fly to knot the score at 2-2.
In their next at-bat, the Warriors plated a pair of runs on a two-run blast by Kiel Kurteszewski to end the afternoon for UT sophomore starter Chris Fields. But the Rockets were not to be outdone in the bottom of the inning and tallied six runs on four hits, including a pair of three-run home runs by Stevison and Watson to take control of the contest and hold an 8-4 lead.
Toledo continued to pour it on added a run in the third and five more in the fourth on the strength of six straight hits to push its lead to 14-4 and send Wayne State starter Yuki Minagawa (0-2) to the showers. Minagawa suffered the loss and allowed 14 runs (12 earned) on 14 in only three innings of action.
The Warriors continued to fight and scored two runs in the fifth inning on a RBI by Adam Schulz and a wild pitch from Gatins with a runner on third base.
The Rockets quickly countered with a three-run home run by Scott Boley in the fifth and a single tally in the sixth on a RBI single by Swint, before WSU finished off the scoring in the eighth on a two-run single by Tim George to make the final 18-8.
The Rockets return to action tomorrow when they travel to Ann Arbor to battle Big Ten member Michigan. The first pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. at Ray Fisher Stadium.
