Rockets' Rally Falls Short in 5-3 Loss to Northern Illinois

Saturday, March 30

Toledo, Ohio

2:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

13-14, 8-4

Northern Illinois

10-18, 6-6

Northern Illinois

Toledo

Junior Trey Wright tallied a team-high three hits in Toledo's 5-3 loss to Northern Illinois.

Photo by: Daniel Miller/University of Toledo

Rockets' Rally Falls Short in 5-3 Loss to Northern Illinois

3/30/2024 6:54:00 PM | Baseball

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Junior Garret Pike homers for fourth straight game

TOLEDO, Ohio – Northern Illinois' four-run third inning proved to be too much for the Toledo baseball team to overcome on Saturday afternoon in the Rockets' 5-3 setback to the Huskies at Scott Park. The defeat prevented Toledo (13-14, 8-4 MAC) from gaining its second Mid-American Conference series sweep of the season.

UT had chances to even the score against NIU (10-18, 6-6 MAC) by putting runners on first and second with nobody out in the seventh and eighth innings. The only run the Rockets could muster though, came on junior Trey Wright's two-out double in the eighth.

"Losing always leaves a bad taste in your mouth, especially when you open the series the way we did," Head Coach Rob Reinstetle said. "We had our opportunities to win today's game and just couldn't get the timely hits like we have been. Regardless of the outcome today, we have been playing good baseball and won another MAC series. Our goal each weekend is to win the series, and it just hurts more when you lose out on a chance to sweep.

Wright paced the Rockets' 10-hit attack with a career-high tying three hits. Junior Brayden White tallied two hits, while senior Scott Mackiewicz and Garret Pike each homered. Pike has now homered in four straight games and his six home runs during this stretch give him a team-high nine round-trippers this season.

Sophomore Jackson Bergman (1-1) suffered the loss for Toledo in his first career start. He allowed five hits and four runs in three innings. NIU's Adam Brouwer (3-3) picked up the victory by limiting UT to five hits and two runs over six innings.

Toledo will conclude its nine-game homestand next week with non-conference games vs. Oakland on Monday, April 1 and Wright State on Wednesday, April 3.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Colin Summerhill's two-run homer capped off a four-run third inning that gave Northern Illinois its first lead of the series.
Leadoff homers from Garret Pike and Scott Mackiewicz in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively, reduced the Rockets' deficit to 4-2.
Eric Erato's two-out RBI single in the top of the seventh provided an insurance run for the Huskies.
Trey Wright's two-out opposite field double in the eight brought Toledo within 5-3.
The Rockets had the tying runner at the plate in the ninth after Scott Mackiewicz drew a leadoff walk but couldn't capitalize.