BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Toledo baseball team had late-scoring opportunities, but was not able to push the tying run across, falling to Bowling Green 3-2 at Steller Field in the regular-season finale on Saturday.
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Down by a run, the Rockets (25-30, 16-14 MAC) put two runners on base in each of the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, but did not score on any of those chances, allowing the Falcons (32-18, 24-6 MAC) to clinch their fifth straight victory. Toledo had appeared to tie the game in the eighth inning, but the run was negated after the runner at first was determined to have missed second base, creating an out on a force play to end the inning.
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"That was a tough game after we had tied it up in the eighth, only to have the run taken off the board from the umpire's discretion," said Head Coach
Rob Reinstetle. "All three games this weekend were tight ballgames that either team could have won. We didn't make enough plays, string the hits together or make enough pitches. BGSU is where they are because they don't beat themselves."
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Toledo received two-hit efforts each from juniors
Caden Konczak,
Garret Pike and
Trey Wright. Junior
Brayden White and freshman
JP Wagner accounted for each of Toledo's RBIs on the afternoon. Wright and freshman
Charlie Scholvin scored both of Toledo's runs.
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Sophomore
Jackson Bergman (3-6) turned in 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out two batters. Five bullpen pitchers combined to throw 4.1 scoreless innings on just four hits.
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The Rockets will enter the Mid-American Conference Baseball Championship as the No. 6 seed and will face No. 3 seed Ball State on Wednesday, May 22 at 12:30 p.m. at Crushers Stadium in Avon, Ohio. All games in the MAC Baseball Championship will be streamed on ESPN+.
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"Next week brings a breath of fresh air – postseason baseball," said Reinstetle. "The league was incredibly tight and much of the seeding was determined on the final weekend. We've played everyone and can beat them all. Now we just have to go do it."
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- A throwing error allowed a BGSU run to score, giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead after two innings.
- A single and stolen base by Charlie Scholvin followed by a single by Trey Wright put runners on the corners in the fourth. Two batters later, JP Wagner drove in a run on an RBI groundout to tie the game 1-1.
- A two-out, two-run single put the Falcons back ahead, 3-1 in the fourth.
- Trey Wright walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the sixth, before Brayden White's RBI single brought him home to cut the deficit to 3-2.