AVON, Ohio - The Rockets outhit Kent State but could not match their run total in a 6-3 loss in the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Friday evening at Sprenger Stadium. With the loss, Toledo ends its season with a 17-41 overall record.
UT recorded eight hits, including a three-run home run by junior
AJ Montoya, but could not battle back from an early deficit. Junior
Dalton Bollinger and freshman
Michael Ryan each notched a pair of singles for the Midnight Blue & Gold in the loss.
The MAC regular-season champion Golden Flashes (37-17) advance in the bracket to play Ohio in the tournament semifinals on Saturday. KSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never relinquished the lead. Two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases and a RBI groundout plated the game's first run. The next batter lined a single to right, scoring a pair, making the score 3-0.
Sophomore RHP
Luke Schaefer took over on the mound and tossed scoreless frames in the second, third and fourth to keep the Rockets close.
Kent State's Dylan Rosa, who hit a grand slam when the teams met on Wednesday, hit a home run to lead off the fifth to increase the deficit to 4-0. Two walks and a two-run single in the seventh then made the score 6-0 in favor of the Golden Flashes going into the final two innings.Â
Toledo never gave up and cut the lead in half in the eighth. After the first two batters of the frame made outs, Bollinger singled to left and sophomore
Ross Adolph followed with a base hit to center to put two runners on base. Montoya came to the plate and skied his seventh home run of the season down the left field line to bring UT within 6-3.
In the ninth, the Rockets put two runners aboard with walks to Ryan and freshman pinch hitter
Malave Bettinger. Toledo brought the tying run to the plate, but three-straight strikeouts ended the game with the scoreboard reading 6-3 in favor of Kent State.
Freshman RHP
Joey Prechtel (2-5) was saddled with the loss, while KSU starter LHP Jared Skolnicki (5-2) picked up the win.
