DeKALB, Ill. – The Toledo softball team exploded at the plate in the fifth and sixth innings to close out its weekend with a 17-6 (6 inn.) victory at Northern Illinois Saturday afternoon at Mary M. Bell Field.

Senior Anna Dixon led the Rockets at the plate by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Senior Dayna Denner went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, one double and one home run. Denner hit a home run in all three games vs. the Huskies to bring her total to 10 on the season. Sophomore Lauren Erickson went 2-for-2 with four RBIs.

Freshman Ellie Price picked up her second win of the season, allowing five runs on nine hits through 5.2 innings of work.

Toledo (12-35, 5-19 MAC) will be back in Scott Park for its final series of the season when it hosts Ohio (20-21, 14-8 MAC) on Tuesday-Wednesday, May 2-3.

How it Happened

• Toledo opened the scoring in the third with an RBI double from senior Dayna Denner and a two-run double from sophomore Lauren Erickson.
• Northern Illinois cut the deficit to 3-2 in its at-bat on an RBI single and a fielder's choice.
• The Rockets extended their lead to 5-2 in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk to Erickson and and an RBI single by senior Aubrey Reed.
• The Huskies scored once in the fourth on a wild pitch.
• UT loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth and scored three runs on walks. Junior Riley Mohr's two-run double ended the inning's scoring and gave Toledo an 11-3 advantage.
• Denner's two-run bomb and sophomore Molly Ryan's three-run shot highlighted a six-run sixth that put Toledo ahead 17-4.
• NIU's Katie Keller hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame, but the final three batters went down on two popouts and a strikeout.