CHARLOTTE, NC - Toledo dropped an 8-4 decision to Charlotte (4-1) on Friday evening in its weekend series opener at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium. With the loss, the Rockets fall to 2-2 on the season.

Junior RHP Mike Hamann (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits with six punchouts in 6.1 innings.

Senior RF Jeff Cola (2-for-4, RBI) and junior 2B Wes White (2-for-4, RS) paced UT offensively with two hits each. Seven of Toledo's nine starters collected a hit against a pair of 49ers hurlers.

Toledo started fast and plated a run in its opening at-bat on the strength of two Charlotte errors.

After the 49ers knotted the score at 1-1 in the third frame, the Rockets retook the lead on a RBI groundout off the bat of senior 3B Joe Corfman in the fifth. The Midnight Blue & Gold had runners on the corners with one out when Corfman grounded out to the right side to score White, who led off the inning with a single.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, they would be unable to hold onto the lead as the home team countered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to assume their first advantage of the contest. The 49ers collected a pair of hits against Hamann, including a RBI single by Shane Brown, to establish a lead they would not surrender.

Charlotte then increased its cushion with one run in the sixth and four insurance tallies in the seventh frame to build a five-run lead, 8-3. The big hit in the seventh inning was a three-run home run by Ross Steedley.

UT mustered a single run in the seventh on a run-scoring single by Cola in between the big innings for Charlotte and another single tally in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by sophomore PH Jacob North to make the final difference, 8-4.

Andrew Smith (2-0) was credited with the victory, surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings.

Derek Gallello (3-for-4, RS) and Brown (2-for-3, 3 RS, RBI) paced the victors with multi-hit efforts against four UT pitchers.

The Rockets and 49ers will continue their three-game series tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Senior RHP Alex Radon is slated to start for the Midnight Blue & Gold.

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