TOLEDO, Ohio – A three-run third and five-run fourth inning proved to be the difference as the Toledo baseball team's late comeback bid fell short in an 8-6 contest against Bowling Green in front of a crowd of 2,942 at Fifth Third Field on Friday.
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The Rockets (25-29, 16-13 MAC) fell behind 8-2 after four innings, then ralied for two runs in the sixth followed by one each in the seventh and eighth fell short as the Falcons (31-18, 23-6 MAC) held on for the victory.
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Juniors
Caden Konczak and
Garret Pike, batting first and second in Friday's lineup, each recorded three-hit evenings with an RBI and a run scored. Freshman
Charlie Scholvin went 2-for-3 for his second-straight multi-hit game, adding two RBIs, a run and a walk to his total. Senior
Scott Mackiewicz played in his 200th career game in a UT uniform on Friday, and went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a walk.
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Senior
Noah Johnson (3-3) started for the Rockets, but was tagged for seven runs (four earned) on six hits in the losing decision. Johnson struck out six batters on the evening. Toledo's bullpen combined for one run allowed on four hits, with the trio of junior
Caden Kline (0.2 innings), senior
Kyle Pijaszek (1.1 innings) and freshman
Jacob Tabor (1.0 inning) each delivering scoreless, hitless efforts.
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The Rockets and Falcons will conclude the series and the regular season on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at Steller Field. Saturday's regular-season finale will air on BCSN and ESPN+.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Caden Konczak drove home the first run of the game with a double to left-center in the top of the third. Later in the inning, Konczak came home on a double steal to increase the lead to 2-0.
- The Falcons took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third on three consecutive two-out RBI singles.
- BGSU scored five times in the bottom of the fourth on a wild pitch, an RBI double, a two-run home run and an RBI single to extend the advantage to 8-2.
- UT put the first two runners on in the sixth, then Charlie Scholvin plated them both with a two-out, two-run single to center to cut the deficit to 8-4.
- Scott Mackiewicz singled to right to put the Rockets within 8-5 in the seventh.
- The Rockets put two runners on in the sixth on two singles, before Pike's two-out single drew Toledo a run closer at 8-6.