AKRON, Ohio - The Toledo softball team's season came to a close on Friday afternoon, following a 10-0 loss to top-seeded Ball State in Game 9 of the Mid-American Conference tournament. The Rockets finish the season 17-36 overall, and tied for the most conference wins since 1996 with eight victories during the regular season.
Nothing rolled Toledo's way in the opening game of Day Three at Firestone Stadium, as UT fell victim to four errors and stranded a runner in every inning. In total, the Rockets left 10 on base.
Starter Marla Gooding (7.0 IP, 10 H, 9 ER, 6 BB, 4 K) was sharp in the circle through the first half of the game without allowing a hit until the fourth. BSU then put together a big four-run fifth inning and piled on five more runs in the last frame to put the game out of reach.
The Midnight Blue & Gold were outhit by the Red and White 10-7, as UT freshman Jess Lemieux paced the offense with three hits in four plate appearances. Lemieux and junior Erinn Wright each recorded a double, while senior Lindsey Tobias, sophomore Leigh Nebendahl and sophomore Alyssa Smith each collected a hit.
Ball State was handed the game's first run in the top of the second inning after a pair of Toledo errors. Two BSU runners reached following a grounder that went under first baseman Leigh Nebendahl's glove and a walk. Gooding got the second out, and then induced a pop fly to short left field for the would-be final out. However, Lemieux couldn't hold on for the running catch in left field, allowing the lead runner from second base to score.
Then Ball State's Taylor Rager (2-for-4; 2 RBI) opened the floodgates with a towering two-run home run with one out in the fifth, leading to three more hits and two more runs.
Toledo's best chance to score happened in the home half of the sixth following back-to-back hits by Tobias and Wright to lead it off. But that fire was immediately doused by BSU after a sharp Nebendahl liner right at the third baseman, which allowed her to take a step and double off Tobias at third. UT eventually left the inning empty-handed after stranding a runner.
UT leaves Akron with a 1-2 ledger, while claiming the program's fourth all-time postseason win and first since 1996. The Rockets also scored the most postseason runs in program history with 11, surpassing the 1985 total of 10.
The season-ending defeat also marks the end of five Rocket careers, including 2013 second-team all-conference honorees Lindsey Tobias and Courtney McCarthy, along with Kristen Roznoski, Morgan Smith and Becki Heimbigner.
