TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo baseball team continued its winning ways on Saturday by claiming both games of a doubleheader against Akron at Scott Park. The Rockets won game one, 7-0 before, taking game two, 12-4, and have now won five in a row and eight of their last nine.

Toledo saw great performances at the plate and on the mound on Saturday. Trace Hatfield was outstanding, going a combined 7-for-8 with two home runs and five RBIs in both games. He was 3-for-4 in the first game with a home run, two RBIs, and two runs scored, then followed that up with a 4-for-4 performance in game two in which he slugged another home run and tallied three RBIs and three runs.

The Rockets' starting pitchers were both excellent. Kyle Jones tossed a seven-inning complete game shutout, striking out six without allowing a walk. Layne Schnitz-Paxton threw five innings in game two, striking out six while allowing just two hits. The two UT starting pitchers combined to allow just one unearned run in 12 innings.

There were plenty of other notable performances across both games. Chris Meyers was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in the first game, Mason Sykes had two doubles and an RBI in that game as well and Zach Schwartzenberger was 3-for-4 with an RBI. In game two, Meyers slugged his 12^th home run of the season and Danny O'Reilly hit his fifth homer of the year. O'Reilly ended the game with a 2-for-4 line with three RBIs. Nicky Winterstein was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

The Rockets and Zips will wrap up their weekend series on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. contest. That game will be streamed live on ESPN+.  

How it Happened (Game 1)

• Toledo loaded the bases in the bottom of the first, but Akron's starting pitcher Taed Heydinger was able to escape unscathed.
• The Rockets struck first with four runs in the bottom of the third. O'Reilly singled through the left side to drive in a pair, then he later scored on a double from Sykes to make it 3-0. Sykes then came in to score on Schwartzenberger's base hit to give Toledo a four-run advantage.
• Jones worked his way out of trouble in the top of the fourth. Akron had runners at the corners with one out, but the Toledo hurler got a clutch strikeout and a harmless ground ball to get himself out of the inning.
• Hatfield went yard in the bottom of the fourth, putting Toledo ahead 6-0 with a two-run home run.
• Sykes drove the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the sixth deep to center field for a double, scoring Hatfield and putting the Midnight Blue and Gold up 7-0, which would hold as the final score. 

How it Happened (Game 2)

• Hatfield stayed hot and launched his second home run of the day in the bottom of the first, bringing Meyers home and putting the Rockets ahead 2-0.
• Akron scored its first run of the day on a Toledo error to make it 2-1.
• Scott Mackiewicz drove a double into the gap in left-center field to bring home Diaz and give Toledo a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
• The Rockets blew the game open and batted around in the bottom of the third, scoring six runs to take a 9-1 lead. Hatfield and O'Reilly drove in runs on back-to-back base hits, then two batters later Sykes' base hit into left field brought in another run. O'Reilly later scored on a wild pitch, then Winterstein singled into right field to bring home two and give Toledo an eight-run cushion.
• Toledo scored three runs on three pitches in the bottom of the fourth. Meyers led off the inning with a long home run over the fence in right field, then Hatfield reached on an infield single and scored on O'Reilly's homer to left field that put UT ahead 12-1.
•  Akron managed to show some late life, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh, but it was too little too late in game two's 12-4 drubbing.

  

Head Coach Rob Reinstetle