DeKalb, Ill.— The Toledo baseball team kicked off its weekend series in thrilling fashion, topping Northern Illinois 6-3 in extra innings.

With one out in the top of the ninth, senior AJ Montoya tied the game with a two-run home run. In the top of the tenth, freshman Trace Hatfield laced a single up the middle, scoring two to give the Rockets their first lead of the afternoon.

Northern Illinois led for much of the game, having taken a 3-0 advantage after four innings. But the Toledo bullpen held strong, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings and giving the bats time to do some damage.

Montoya and senior Brad Boss both hit late home runs for the Rockets and all nine starters had at least one hit on Friday. Sophomore Joey Prechtel started on the mound and gave Toledo 4.1 innings. Freshman Bryce Davis, sophomore Layne Schnitz-Paxton, sophomore Austin Calopietro, and junior Nate Haugh all pitched well out of the bullpen to help Toledo secure the big win.

Toledo and Northern Illinois will return to the diamond on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CT.

How it Happened

• The Huskies scored first thanks to a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the second inning.
• Two more NIU runs touched home in the bottom of the fourth. A solo shot led off the frame and a sacrifice fly drove in the third run to put Toledo in a 3-0 hole.
• The Rockets had a tough time figuring out Northern Illinois starter Tanner Foster. He tallied 12 strikeouts and walked just one in eight innings of work.
• Prechtel exited the game in the fifth inning with runners on second and third. Davis jogged in from the bullpen and blew away the first two hitters he faced with clutch strikeouts. The freshman ended up striking out five in his two frames on the mound.
• Boss launched a solo homer to left field, his seventh home run of the season, to get Toledo on the scoreboard.
• Montoya showed a flair for the dramatic in the top of the ninth, tying the game with a two-run home run. The one-out dinger brought home Bollinger and gave Toledo new life in the ninth.
• With men on first and third, NIU elected to intentionally walk Bollinger after he worked a 2-0 count. Hatfield took advantage of the Huskies' decision with a line drive single up the middle, scoring two runs and giving the Rockets a 5-3 lead, their first of the afternoon.
• Freshman Zach Schwartzenberger drew a bases-loaded walk to add an insurance run, making the score 6-3.