TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo baseball team wrapped up its weekend series with Western Michigan on high note, posting a 16-9 victory on Sunday.

Western Michigan took an early 5-0 lead, but Toledo used a six-run bottom of the fifth to grab its first advantage of the day. The Rockets held the Broncos scoreless from the fifth inning on, and scored five more insurance runs to earn a series split.

The Rockets and Broncos finished a wild weekend series, with both teams combing for 96 runs and 19 home runs in the four games at Scott Park. There were 14 batters hit by a pitch combined between the two teams yesterday, and Toledo hitters were hit by a pitch 10 times, eclipsing the previous MAC single-game record held by Kent State (nine players hit by a pitch in 2014) one off the NCAA record (Lehigh had 11 batters hit by a pitch in a game earlier this season).

Marcus Strother was hit a game-high three times, while Nicky Winterstein, Danny O'Reilly, and John Servello were all hit twice. Scott Mackiewicz was plunked once.

Nate Haugh was outstanding for Toledo on Sunday, throwing six scoreless innings in relief and striking out six, allowing just two hits. After entering the game in a precarious situation in the top of the fourth, Haugh had a 1-2-3 fifth inning and allowed just one batter to reach in each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings before sending the Broncos down in order in the ninth.

At the plate, Mackiewicz homered for the third straight game, hitting a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning. Chris Meyers was 3-for-5, hitting his 13^th home run of the year and driving in three runs to help the cause. Trace Hatfield also tallied three RBIs and Justin Diaz homered for the second straight game, driving in two runs. Darryn Davis hit his first homer of the season, a pinch-hit solo shot to lead off the bottom of the sixth.

Next up for Toledo is a midweek visit to Eastern Michigan on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., one of the makeup dates from the previously postponed weekend series against the Eagles. The Rockets then visit ACC foe Virginia Tech next weekend for three games.

How it Happened

• WMU's Blake Dunn smacked a solo home run in the top of the first to put his team ahead, 1-0.
• The Rockets had a chance to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first, but left the bases loaded to end the inning.
• The Broncos added four more runs in the top of the second to take a 5-0 lead.
• For the second time in as many days, Diaz launched a home run onto the roof of the Findlay building beyond the left field fence, this time it was a two-run shot for Toledo's first runs of the game.
• Western Michigan took advantage of a UT fielding error in the top of the third to extend its lead to 6-2.
• Three more runs came in to score for the Broncos in the top of the fourth, putting the score at 9-2.
• Meyers and Danny O'Reilly both had RBI singles in the bottom half of the fourth to cut the deficit to five, then Meyers scored on a passed ball to make it 9-5
• Toledo took its first lead of the day in the bottom of the fifth. A run came in on an error, then Winterstein scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 9-7. Mackiewicz continued his torrid pace and launched a grand slam over the fence to right-center field to put the Rockets ahead 11-9.
• Davis led off the sixth inning with a pinch-hit home run, then a few batters later Meyers launched a two-run shot deep to center field to make the score 14-9.
• In the bottom of the eighth, Hatfield drove the first pitch he saw through the left side of the infield for a two-out, two run single that pushed Toledo's lead to 16-9, which would hold as the final score.