University of Toledo
1-8
Samford
6-5
Toledo Drops Rubber Match at Samford, 16-8
3/7/2021 4:49:00 PM | Baseball
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The Rockets took a 6-4 lead with a couple runs in the top of the sixth, but the Bulldogs scored seven runs in the bottom half of the sixth and five more in the seventh to slug their way to a win in the rubber match of the weekend series.
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John Servello drove in two runs with his two-run home run in the second inning, and Nicky Winterstein also tallied two RBIs on Sunday. Mason Sykes and Darryn Davis each drove in a run to aid the cause, and both Matt Kirk and Marcus Strother recorded two hits. Eight different pitchers saw time on the mound on Sunday. Connor Brandon made his first-career start, tossing three innings for the Rockets.
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Toledo visits Wofford next weekend for a four-game series and a final tune-up heading into conference play the following weekend.
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How it Happened
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- Samford plated two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. The Bulldogs took advantage of three walks issued by the Rockets to strike first on Sunday.
- Servello tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the second with a two-run shot to left field. Davis opened the inning with a single into right field, then came around to score on the two-run homer.
- The second inning ended with Servello making a tremendous throw from right field to nab the runner trying to tag from third.
- Toledo struck with two outs in the top of the fifth, scoring twice to take a 4-2 lead. Chris Meyers scored all the way from first thanks to a Samford error, then Davis ripped a double into right field that scored Trace Hatfield.
- Samford's Max Pinto led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run, making the score 4-3. An RBI double later in the inning tied the game at 4-4.
- Winterstein drove a pitch into center field for a two-run single in the top of the sixth to give the Rockets a 6-4 advantage.
- The Bulldogs scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 11-6 lead. Samford benefitted from three walks, an HBP, and an error to take a commanding lead.
- Samford blew the game wide open in the bottom of the seventh with five runs to take a 16-6 lead.
- Sykes doubled in Chipper Holland in the top of the eighth to trim the deficit to single digits, 16-7.
- Zach Schwartzenberger came off the bench to deliver a sac fly in the top of the ninth, his second straight game with an RBI in a pinch-hitting opportunity.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Carson Cupo (2-0)
L: Bischoff, Kyle (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Sykes, Mason 1 ; Davis, Darryn 1 ; Strother, Marcus 1
HR: Servello, John 1
RBI: Winterstein, Nicky 2 ; Sykes, Mason 1 ; Davis, Darryn 1 ; Servello, John 2 ; Schwartzenberger, Zach 1
SH: Holland, Chipper 1
SF: Schwartzenberger, Zach 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Meyers, Chris 1 ; Hatfield, Trace 1 ; Davis, Darryn 1 ; Servello, John 1 ; O'Reilly, Danny 1 ; Strother, Marcus 1 ; Kirk, Matt 1 ; Holland, Chipper 1
SB: Winterstein, Nicky 1
HBP: Meyers, Chris 1 ; Kirk, Matt 1
Batting:
2B: Brooks Carlson 1 ; Sonny DiChiara 1 ; Ryan Crockett 1 ; Will David 1
HR: Max Pinto 1
RBI: Max Pinto 1 ; Brooks Carlson 2 ; Sonny DiChiara 3 ; Tyler McManus 1 ; Ayrton Schafer 2 ; Ryan Crockett 2 ; Will David 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Max Pinto 4 ; Brooks Carlson 2 ; Garrett Howe 1 ; Sonny DiChiara 2 ; Tyler McManus 2 ; Davis Schwartz 1 ; Colton Ledbetter 1 ; Ryan Crockett 1 ; Will David 1 ; Taylor Garris 1
SB: Max Pinto 1
CS: Towns King 1
HBP: Tyler McManus 1 ; Taylor Garris 1
PO: Towns King 1
