TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo and Kent State combined for 15 home runs, but the long ball hurt the Rockets who fell in an 18-12 slugfest in 10 innings to the Golden Flashes on Sunday at Scott Park.
 
The Rockets (19-17, 12-6 MAC) were unable to complete the sweep as Kent State (16-17, 8-7 MAC finished the weekend above .500 in league play. Kent State hit 10 home runs, which accounted for 17 of its 18 runs on Sunday.
 
"This was a tough one to swallow today," said Head Coach Rob Reinstetle. "The offense did a great job giving us the lead and chances to win numerous times today, even scoring to keep the game alive with our backs against the wall. The obvious difference was our inability to keep Kent State's bats in the park."
 
For the Rockets, junior Brayden White was 3-for-5 on the afternoon, slugging two home runs and driving in four. He also crossed the plate two times on Sunday. Freshman Luke Walton was 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs, going deep as well. Senior Scott Mackiewicz and junior Caden Konczak each hit a home run, with Mackiewicz putting up two RBIs and scoring two runs. Senior Owen Jackson, junior Garrett Pike and freshman Charlie Scholvin each had two-hit games for the Rockets.
 
The Rockets used six different pitchers on the afternoon. Sophomore RJ Shunck went 2.1 innings, allowing two runs and striking out two before being relieved due to injury. Senior Camryn Szynski pitched the longest, working 3.0 innings and allowing three runs (two earned) and striking out three. Junior Brennan McCune (2-1) took the loss in his first defeat of the year.
 
As a team, Toledo scored 30 or more runs in a series for the third time this season, having scored 32 against Western Michigan (March 15-16), 34 against Northern Illinois (March 28-30) and 35 against Kent State (April 13-14). White notched his first multi-home run game this season and became the seventh different Rocket to hit multiple home runs in a game this year. He drove in four runs for the second time this week (April 9 at Youngstown State). Walton registered four hits for the third time this season.
 
Toledo will face Michigan at Fifth Third Field on Tuesday, April 16 with first pitch set for 6:00 p.m. The Rockets will then return to conference play April 19-21 against Miami at Scott Park.
 
"We have Michigan at Fifth Third on Tuesday and a talented Miami team coming to town next weekend," said Reinstetle. "As tough as that loss was, we won another MAC series and keep pace at the top of the standings. Need to wipe this one away and get ready for this week."

HOW IT HAPPENED             

• White belted a two-run home run to center field for a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
• Kent State tied the game with solo home runs in back-to-back innings, evening the score at 2-2 in the third.
• The first six batters reached in the bottom of the third, leading to four Toledo runs on consecutive RBI singles from Pike, Walton, White and Jackson to put UT in front, 6-2.
• A throwing error plated a KSU run to cut things to 6-3 in the fourth.
• Mackiewicz belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead to 8-3. White then followed with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth.
• The Golden Flashes' third home run of the game pushed things to 9-5 in the sixth, followed by another two-run home run in the seventh.
• Walton's home run in the bottom of the seventh extended UT's lead to 10-7.
• Kent State hit three home runs in the eighth, with two solo shots followed by a go-ahead two-run blast, taking an 11-10 lead in the middle of the eighth.
• Konzcak led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run to even the game at 11.
• Kent State's eighth home run of the afternoon gave the Golden Flashes a 12-11 lead in the ninth.
• With two outs and a full count, Jackson singled to right to knot the game at 12.
• Kent State hit two three-run home runs, the first coming with no outs and the second with two out to take an 18-12 lead in the 10th.