Toledo, Ohio— Toledo showed a flair for the dramatic on Saturday in its 3-2 win over Ohio.
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, senior
AJ Montoya lifted a 1-1 pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run, his third dinger of the season and the deciding hit in UT's victory. Montoya's blast was the first offense for either team after the first inning. Ohio scored its two runs in the top of the first on a two-run homer from Rudy Rott, and UT halved the deficit in the bottom of the first thanks to a sacrifice fly from freshman
Trace Hatfield.
Senior
Sam Shutes turned in another fantastic outing on Saturday. After allowing the one-out home run in the top of the first, he threw 7.2 innings of shutout ball, allowing just two hits and two walks. Eighteen of Shutes' 24 recorded outs came via fly balls. His start today was the second time this season he's pitched at least eight innings (3/24 at Western Michigan). Sophomore
Austin Calopietro earned his second save of the season.
Freshman
John Servello extended his hitting streak to 16 games and has now reached base in 20 consecutive contests.
The Rockets and Bobcats will wrap up the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
How it Happened
- Shutes allowed the two-run homer to Rott in the top of the first inning, the only runs Toledo allowed all game. The second batter of the game walked and then came around to score on the Bobcats' home run to right center field.
- UT got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the first. Senior Brad Boss led off with a single to center field on the first pitch he saw, then advanced to second on a balk. Servello also singled right up the middle, allowing Boss to head to third. Hatfield drove in the run from third on a fly ball to right field.
- Shutes allowed a one-out base hit in the top of the second inning and another to lead off the third, but then retired 14 of the next 15 hitters he faced. The senior did not allow a hit after the third frame and had no problem working through Ohio's lineup. He was efficient on the mound as well, highlighted by a six-pitch sixth inning.
- The Rockets had chances in the fourth and sixth innings, putting two men on base each time, but were unable to capitalize.
- The big hit came off the bat of Montoya in the eighth. Senior Dalton Bollinger ripped a single to left field and, three pitches later, came around to score on Montoya's blast.
- The Bobcats did not go down without a fight. Calopietro faced OU's leadoff hitter with two outs and a 3-1 count, but got him to send a harmless fly ball to right field that Servello fielded easily to end the game.