BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - Junior Dalton Bollinger tied the game with a solo home run in the ninth innings and put Toledo ahead with a two-run double in extra innings en route to an 8-4 Mid-American Conference win over Bowling Green on Sunday afternoon at Steller Field. With the win, the Rockets take the I-75 rivalry series, 2-1.

Toledo (10-22, 4-5 MAC) received a strong start from senior Sam Shutes, who threw 6.0+ innings and allowed two runs on four hits, four walks and five strikeouts. Offensively, the Rockets had two hits from Bollinger, junior AJ Montoya and sophomore Riley Campbell.

The rubber match of the series looked to be a pitchers dual early on as Shutes and Bowling Green starting pitcher Zac Carey each hurled three scoreless innings to begin the game. 

In the fourth, the Rockets struck for a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead. Campbell singled to spark the inning with one out and Hansen followed with a single of his own. Bollinger was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Montoya. Montoya popped up but sophomore Ross Adolph picked up his teammate with a two-out, two-run single to right.

UT stretched its lead to 3-0 in the fifth as freshman Antonio Bennett lined a double down the left field line with one out. Bennett advanced on a fly out by junior Brad Boss and scored on Campbell's second hit of the day.

Bowling Green (8-19, 4-5 MAC) pushed back with a solo home run in the sixth to make the count 3-1. A lead off double in the seventh chased Shutes. A single, a fielder's choice and a passed ball brought in two more runs to tie the score at 3-3.

The Falcons were not done as the home team used a one-out double and multiple passed balls to tally another run in the eighth, taking the lead 4-3.

Bollinger led off the ninth and on the second pitch of the inning delivered a game-tying solo home run to the trees in left center.

Sophomore Michael Jacob worked a scoreless bottom half to force extra innings for the fourth time this year.

Bennett started the extra frame by working a five-pitch walk. A sacrifice bunt by Boss moved Bennett to second a groundout by Campbell moved the go-ahead run 90 feet from home. 

Junior Matt Hansen was intentionally walked to get to Bollinger. Bollinger then laced a two-out, two-run double off the wall in left center, scoring Bennett easily and bringing around Hansen all the way from first.

As the dust settled, Montoya launched the first pitch of the next at-bat over the wall in left to give the Rockets an 8-4 cushion. For Montoya, it was his third home run in the last two games.

Fifth-year senior Caleb Schillace entered to record the final three outs in the 10th inning.

Jacob (1-1) gets the win for 2.2 innings pitched without allowing an earned run. Five of Jacob's eight outs came via the strikeout.

The Rockets will travel to South Bend, Ind. for a single game with Notre Dame on Wednesday, April 12.