TOLEDO, OH – The Rockets exploded in the first inning for eight runs and shot down Ball State (29-21, 14-9 MAC), 10-7, on Saturday, May 14 at Scott Park. Toledo strung together seven straight singles in the first inning and every batter wearing Midnight Blue & Gold reached base. With the victory, the Rockets improve to 15-35-1 and 10-10 in the Mid-American Conference.
 
"Today was another great team effort," head coach Cory Mee said. "We got off to a good start and had a relentless offensive attack. It was a great response after giving up two runs in the first inning."
 
Senior RF Cory Finkler capped the eight-run inning in the first with a three-run home run over the left-field fence and also reached base three times during the contest. The home run was the first of his collegiate career, and the three RBI was a career high.
 
"As a team we're working hard in the batting cages," Finkler said. "We're preparing really well and seeing the ball well."
 
UT was on fire in the first frame. Sophomore 1B Dalton Bollinger picked up two RBI in the inning, while three Rockets – freshman LF Ross Adolph, senior C Lucas Sokol and sophomore CF AJ Montoya – all singled home a runner. Montoya and Adolph added another RBI later in the contest.
 
Senior LHP Ross Achter earned his team-best sixth win of the season after allowing three earned runs in 5.0 innings. Achter fanned four batters and scattered five hits in the outing. Freshman LHP Michael Jacob found himself in the closer's role once again and earned a five-out save. Jacob fanned three batters in 1.2 frames and allowed just one batter to reach base. Junior LHP Alex Wagner pitched for the second straight game, and freshman RHP Casey Johnson did not allow a run to cross the plate in 1.2 innings in relief.
 
"I thought Ross competed today and I loved the way he battled through five innings," Mee said. "He gave us a chance to win and the bullpen gave us some big innings."
 
UT spotted Ball State two runs in the top of the first after Colin Brockhouse singled up the middle to score Cardinals.
 
Toledo lit up the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame. After three straight singles, Bollinger delivered anothersingle up the middle to score Tansel and Boss. Montoya, Adolph and Sokol all added singles to give UT a 5-2 advantage. Finkler capped the eight-run frame with a towering home run over the left-field fence to give the Rockets an 8-2 lead.
 
The Rockets added two in the fourth with a Montoya double to left-center field to score Tansel and an Adolph single to center field to bring Montoya home.
 
Ball State did not go down quietly. After cutting the lead to seven in fifth with a Caleb Stayton single, BSU added four unearned runs in the sixth. A throwing error on a bunt extended the inning, and the Cardinals used two doubles and a single to cut the UT advantage to 10-7.
 
BSU threatened in the eighth, but Jacob slammed the door on the Cardinals to give the Rockets its 15^th win of the season.
 
Toledo will be back in action on Sunday, May 15 at 1:05 p.m. looking to sweep Ball State. Prior to the start of Sunday's series finale, the Rockets will recognize nine seniors - Ryan Callahan, Cory Finkler, Kevin Kline, John Martillotta, Caleb Schillace, Lucas Sokol, Anthony Smith, Deion Tansel and Dan Zuchowski.

PITCHING
Achter (W, 6): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 K, 4 BB
Wagner: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 1 BB
Johnson: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 2 BB
Jacob (S, 7): 1.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 0 BB