GREENVILLE, SC - Toledo could not avoid the weekend sweep and suffered an 8-5 setback at Furman in Sunday's series finale at Latham Stadium. With the loss, the Rockets fall to 3-6 on the season.
Junior RHP Jared Locke (0-3) was strapped in the setback, yielding seven runs (all earned) on eight hits with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
Senior RF Jeff Cola (2-for-4, RS, RBI) and sophomore LF Jacob (2-for-4) paced UT with multi-hit efforts. The duo tallied four of the Rockets' six hits against four Paladin (3-6) hurlers to suffer their fourth consecutive setback.
Furman (7-5) starter Ben Carlson stymied the Toledo offense, allowing only two runs (one earned) on five hits with three punchouts in 7.0 frames to pick up the series-finale triumph.
Carlson's effective work on the mound was backed up by a Paladin offense highlighted by an Alex Abrams' three-run home run and three-hit performances by Taylor Johnson and Will Owens.
The home team wasted little time in setting the tone in today's finale, taking advantage of Abrams' three-run opposite field round tripper in the bottom of the first.
Toledo broke through with a pair of runs in the fourth inning on the strength of Cola's RBI single and a Paladins' error to make it a 3-2 game.
FU then sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth, plating four tallies on five hits to assume a comfortable cushion. The big hit in the frame was a two-run double off the bat of Johnson to give Furman a 7-2 lead.
Toledo's best chance to get back in the contest came in the eighth inning when the Midnight Blue & Gold combined an error with two walks to load the bases with one out. Unfortunately for the Rockets, Cola hit a sharp line drive to Furman 2B Will Muzika who speared the hit and stepped on second base to complete the inning-ending double play.
The Rockets tallied three runs in the ninth on a senior 2B Joe Corfman two-out, three-run home run to left field to make the final difference 8-5.
UT will return to action against the College of Charleston on Tuesday, March 6 at 6:00 p.m.
