TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo baseball team defeated Bowling Green on Friday night at Fifth Third Field, 5-2, in front of a crowd of more than 2,500 fans.

The Falcons scored the first run of the game, but the Rockets answered with two in the bottom of the second and would not trail for the rest of the night. Bowling Green was not without scoring opportunities, leaving seven runners on base in the final three innings, failing to score in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and nobody out.

"What an amazing event for Toledo, Bowling Green, and the City of Toledo," head coach Rob Reinstetle said. "We were blown away by the support for this game and hope to grow it every year. On the field, we did what we had to in order to win. We got some timely hitting, pitched well in spots, and turned a great, yet much needed triple play. We need to build off this and finish the weekend strong."

Toledo received gutsy pitching performances from Layne Schnitz-Paxton and Jordan Power. Schnitz-Paxton started the game and pitched six innings, striking out two while allowing two runs. Power came in with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the seventh and allowed just one inherited runner to score, and stranded two runners in the eighth and three in the ninth to earn his second save of the year.

At the plate John Servello, Chris Meyers, and Zach Schwartzenberger all had two hits apiece. Both of Servello's hits went for extra bases, including a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, his sixth of the year. Schwartzenberger drove in two runs, while Meyers and Marcus Strother both tallied an RBI to help the cause.  

Toledo and Bowling Green will continue their weekend series at Scott Park with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon. Both games will be available on ESPN3 and will be televised locally on BCSN.

How it Happened

• Bowling Green scored the first run of the game on a squeeze play in the top of the second. Adam Fallon laid down an excellent bunt that allowed Jack Krause to score easily from third and put BGSU up 1-0.
• Toledo took its first lead of the night with a two-run bottom of the second. Schwartzenberger drove in a run on a base hit to right field, then Sykes tallied the go-ahead RBI with a sac fly to center to make it 2-1.
• The Rockets experienced one of the rarest plays in baseball in the top of the fourth: a triple play. BGSU's runners on first and second were moving on the pitch, but Tyler Ross launched a harmless fly ball to right field that was easily caught. Servello fired the ball in to second base and Mackiewicz tossed it to first to complete the triple play.
• Servello came up big for the Rockets in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run to left field to make it 3-1.
• The Falcons got a run back in the top of the seventh to make it 3-2, and had several chances to score more. But Power was able to work his way out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs to keep the Rockets in the lead. A strikeout was followed by the runner at third caught trying to score on a wild pitch, then Hatfield made a nice play at shortstop for the third out to end the inning.
• Meyers singled up the middle to drive in a run and push Toledo's lead back to two, 4-2.
• Power was able to work his way out of jams in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the win. BGSU had two runners on base with one out in the top of the eighth and Power struck out the next two hitters to escape unscathed.
• A dramatic top of the ninth began with the first three Falcon hitters reaching base on two walks and a single into right field. Power stood tall, however, and retired the next three hitters to strand all three runners and cap an exciting night with a Rocket victory.