Toledo, Ohio— Toledo hosted Spring Arbor University on Wednesday afternoon at Scott Park and fell by a score of 8-6.
The Rockets fell behind early, trailing 4-2 after four innings. The Cougars scored another run in the top of the fifth to take a 5-2 lead, but UT roared back with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to jump ahead. Spring Arbor then scored three runs in the top of the eighth to retake the lead, this time for good.
Freshman
Kyle Bischoff started the game for Toledo and was one of seven pitchers to take the mound for the Midnight Blue and Gold. At the plate, both freshman
Trace Hatfield and sophomore
Michael Ryan tallied three hits at the plate, career-high totals for the two of them. They also both drove in two runs for Toledo, with seniors
Dalton Bollinger and
Casey Gose driving in the other scores.
Next up for the Rockets is a three-game home series against Eastern Michigan this weekend.
How it Happened
- Spring Arbor struck first with two runs in the top of the third. An infield single and sac fly did the damage and put Toledo in a 2-0 hole.
- The Rockets got a run back in the bottom half of the inning on Bollinger's RBI double down the line in left field.
- Two more runs came in to score for the Cougars in the fourth. With the bases loaded, UT hit a batter and walked one to force in runs and make the score 4-1.
- In the bottom of the fourth, Ryan doubled to left field to score Hatfield and pull his team within two, 4-2.
- Another bases-loaded walk in the fifth put Spring Arbor ahead, 5-2.
- UT's big inning came in the seventh. The Rockets scored four runs to take their first lead of the afternoon. Hatfield's bases-loaded double deep into the gap in left center field brought in two runs and made it a one-run game. Ryan singled to right field to tie it up at 5-5, then Gose laid down a terrific squeeze bunt that put Toledo ahead, 6-5.
- Spring Arbor took the lead for good in the eighth inning. With the bases loaded, the batter hit a dribbler to the mound, but the throw home was wild and allowed two runs to score. The game's final run scored on a wild pitch and made it 8-6.