MUNCIE, Ind. – The Toledo baseball team wrapped up its weekend at Ball State with a doubleheader against the Cardinals on Sunday, dropping both games against its Mid-American Conference foes.

The Rockets lost an explosive extra-inning affair in game one, falling 19-16 in 13 innings, before falling 7-4 in an abbreviated game two that was called due to darkness.

Game one saw both teams combine for 36 hits and 35 runs and took over four-and-a-half hours to complete. Toledo led 16-10 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but Ball State extended the game with a six-run inning to force extras. Neither team found the scoreboard again until a walk-off, three-run homer for the Cardinals in the bottom of the 13^th inning.

Game two was shortened due to darkness and was called in the top of the sixth. In their five trips to the plate, the Cardinals plated seven runs on 11 hits to complete the doubleheader sweep.

"It's hard to put into words what happened today," head coach Rob Reinstetle said. "We hit the ball extremely well and did what we needed to do offensively. It was back-and-forth all day and our guys never stopped finding ways to score. It doesn't show in the box score, but we actually pitched okay when you take into account some of the balls we misplayed in the field. If those get recorded as outs, it's a totally different day. Sure, the wind, sun, and sky made conditions tough today, but to their credit Ball State made some key plays when they needed to and we didn't. It was our miscues on defense that cost us in both games. There is a lot more baseball to be played before this season goes into the books. One thing is certain, we will be back at it this week, and we will be better. Today's losses are inexcusable and we'll be better."

Next up for the Rockets is a midweek contest at Ohio State on Wednesday. Toledo then hosts Akron for its first home games of 2023 next weekend at Scott Park.

• Toledo opened the scoring in the first game with two runs in the top of the first to take an early lead. Mason Sykes' solo homer highlighted UT's top of the first.
• Ball State responded with a five-run bottom of the first to take a 5-2 lead. The Cardinals tied the game with a two-run single and a three-run homer gave them the lead.
• The offensive floodgates officially opened with Toledo's four-run top of the second. Jeron Williams and Garret Pike drove in runs on RBI doubles to highlight the inning and put UT ahead, 6-5.
• The lead didn't last long as Ball State tied it up at 6-6 with a run in the bottom of the second.
• Owen Jackson's three-run home run in the top of the fourth put Toledo back on top, 9-6, before the Cardinals answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to make it 9-8.
• Daunte DeCello put the Rockets ahead 11-8 with a two-run single in the top of the sixth and Pike's three-run home run in the top of the seventh pushed the lead to 14-8.
• The offensive barrage continued with a Ball State two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, but Brian Fry's two-run homer the next inning rebuilt Toledo's six-run lead and put the score at 16-10.
• The Rockets' six-run advantage disappeared in the bottom of the ninth, during which Ball State scored six runs to tie the game at 16-16.
• Matthew Rivera's three-run home run in the bottom of the 13^th inning gave Ball State a 19-16 win.

• The Cardinals took the first lead in game two on an RBI triple in the bottom of the first.
• Ball State's lead grew to 6-0 after scoring four runs in the third and tacking on another in the fourth.
• Scott Mackiewicz got Toledo on the board with an RBI single in the top of the fifth, and Pike followed that up with a two-run double to put the Rockets within three.
• Ball State added a run in the bottom of the fifth to push its lead back up to four, 7-3.
• Brayden White's RBI double in the top of the sixth made the score 7-4, but the game was called shortly thereafter due to darkness.