Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DEKALB, Ill. – The University of Toledo baseball team (22-29, 20-15 MAC) split its Saturday doubleheader at Northern Illinois (15-34, 14-21 MAC), winning game two 9-1 after dropping the first game, 8-5.
 
The Rockets played an excellent game two to clinch the twin bill split. Nate Haugh was terrific on the mound, tossing a seven-inning complete game, striking out five while allowing just the one run, and scattering four hits and a walk. After allowing the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the third to reach base, Haugh retired the next 13 hitters he faced.
 
At the plate, Nicky Winterstein led the way with a 3-for-3 day, scoring three times and reaching base safely in all four of his plate appearances. Mason Sykes was 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, and Danny O'Reilly tallied a game-high four RBIs in the winning effort. Making his first start in right field this season, Matt Kirk went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.
 
Winterstein had the lone multi-hit game for the Rockets in game one going 2-for-3 with a double, and Davis drove in two runs on an RBI double in a four-run top of the first inning. Kyle Jones started the game on the mound and struck out five in 4.2 innings of work. Brendan Collins and Jordan Power also pitched in game one.
 
The series concludes on Sunday, with first pitch set for 11:00 a.m. CT (Noon ET).
 
How it Happened (Game 1)

• Toledo started the game off about as well as one could hope, scoring four runs in the top of the first to take a quick 4-0 lead.
• Mackiewicz started the game off with a single, then stole second base and came around to score on Chris Meyers' base hit. Two batters later, Winterstein drove in a run with his base hit through the right side of the infield, and he later crossed home plate on a two-run double by Davis.
• Northern Illinois answered with four runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 4-4. Joyce drove in the first run with a base hit into left field, and he would later score on a single from Dunham. A run-scoring ground ball brought in a run, then Huebbe scored on a Toledo error to tie the game.
• The Rockets retook the lead with a sac fly in the top of the fourth off the bat of Strother that allowed Sykes to score and make it 5-4.
• The Huskies took the lead for good in the bottom half of the fourth, scoring two runs to put the score at 6-5.
• NIU added two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, bringing the final score to 8-5.

 
How it Happened (Game 2)

• The Huskies started the scoring in game two with a two-out RBI double to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
• Winterstein reached on a triple in the top of the second and later scored on O'Reilly's ground ball to shortstop to tie the game at 1-1.
• Toledo scored three in the top of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Hatfield and Kirk drove in runs on singles, and O'Reilly tallied an RBI fielder's choice in the second straight inning.
• The Rockets scored three more in the top of the fifth to open up a 7-1 advantage. Sykes launched a solo home run to left field to start the scoring, then O'Reilly drove in two runs on a bases-loaded double down the line in right field.
• Sykes drove in another run in the top of the sixth, lacing a single into left field that brought home Kirk and put the Rockets ahead 8-1.
• Toledo scored another run in the top of the seventh for good measure, taking a 9-1 lead on Kirk's two-out double into the gap in right-center field.