CLEARWATER, FL – Toledo could not salvage a win on the final
day at the Under Armour Classic, as they lost another heartbreaker to Wagner,
7-6. On Saturday, UT battled back to an 8-8 tie with Penn State after trailing
6-1, but could not hold on. Today, the Rockets were one out away from a 6-4
victory, but the Eagles scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh
to steal the game.
UT finishes the weekend 0-5 and falls to 5-12 overall. The team is back in action next weekend at the
Hoosier Classic in Bloomington, IN.
Down two runs, the first hitter singled to lead off the
final inning for Wagner, followed by an error in the infield to put two Eagles
aboard. Toledo seemed to grab control of the inning after a sacrifice bunt advanced
the runners and a fly out brought up the bottom of the lineup
with two outs.
However, Wagner DH Jessica Albarran provided the big blow
with her second two-out, two-run double of the game to right field, scoring both runners and tying the game at six. Abigail Beasley singled to left in
the next at-bat, moving Albarran to third and Carley Nicoletti ended the game
with a walk-off single to right.
UT senior 2B Courtney McCarthy stayed hot after Saturday's 5
RBI performance with another 2-for-3 effort and RBI at the dish. She finished 5-for-9
over the final three games with 8 runs knocked in and her first home run of the
season versus Penn State.
Junior DP Erinn Wright connected on her first long ball in
her second consecutive multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Wright's
homer came in the fifth after McCarthy led off the inning with a double.
Freshman Marla Gooding (1-3) took the loss after giving up
zero earned runs in relief for starter Alli Beery (3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 K, 1
BB).
The Midnight Blue & Gold got on the board with a
McCarthy RBI single in the third that scored senior C Morgan Smith for the 1-0
lead.
UT used small ball and tacked on two more runs in the fourth
to extend the lead. With one away, freshman 3B Jen Behunin and junior SS Lani
Ernst recorded back-to-back singles to the right side. Morgan Smith followed
with a sacrifice fly to allow Behunin to score and sophomore LF Alyssa Smith brought
Ernst in on sacrifice bunt later in the inning.
Wagner answered with four runs in the bottom half to claim
its first lead of the game, 4-3. Albarron knocked in the first two runs with a
double to left center. Beery hit the next batter and threw a wild pitch, before
giving up another two-run double to left field.
Wright's blast to left center reclaimed the lead for the
Rockets and senior RF Lindsey Tobias came across on a Behunin grounder for the
6-4 advantage.
Both teams went scoreless in the sixth before Wagner's
three-run seventh inning.
Wagner used three pitchers as Samantha Bedker (1-1) earned
the win after allowing a hit in 1.2 innings of relief.
Senior CF Kristen Roznoski and sophomore 1B Leigh Nebendahl
had the other two hits for Toledo.
Wagner racked up 12 hits and committed two errors. Toledo had
nine base knocks with one costly error.