TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo baseball team won its sixth conference series of the season and picked up another key game in the Mid-American Conference standings with a 4-3 victory against Eastern Michigan at Scott Park on Saturday.
 
The Rockets (22-25, 15-11 MAC) got the game-winning sacrifice fly from redshirt freshman Luke Walton in the seventh inning, sending the Eagles (13-31, 8-15 MAC) to their 12th straight defeat. The Rockets are tied for third with Miami in the MAC standings.
 
Toledo was led on offense by junior Garret Pike, who went 4-for-4 on the day with a solo home run and two runs scored. Senior Owen Jackson scored UT's other two runs while Walton and junior Brayden White each supplied RBIs. Pike's home run was his 16th of the season, tying Owen Jackson (2023) and Mason Sykes (2022) for the most in a single season in program history.
 
Senior Noah Johnson delivered 6.0 solid innings, allowing just three runs (two earned) on seven hits and striking out eight. Johnson gave up two earned runs or fewer for the third straight start and fanned at least eight batters for the third time this season. Senior Kyle Pijaszek (4-2) pitched 2.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to earn the win, followed by a scoreless ninth from senior Kyle Music for his first save of the season.

"Today was a big win for us to keep pace in the MAC standings," said Head Coach Rob Reinstetle. "Many seniors contributed to our success on Senior Day. We got a great start out of Noah Johnson and the bullpen was outstanding. Garret Pike's 4-for-4 day stands out, but we swung the bats well today as a team."
 
Before the game, Toledo honored its 12 graduating baseball seniors – Scott Mackiewicz, Owen Jackson, Grant Umberger, Camryn Szynski, Matt LeLito, Patrick Dillon, Christian Lothes, Jack Walker, Kyle Music, Trey Wright, Noah Johnson and Kyle Pijaszek.
 
The Rockets will go for the sweep against EMU on Sunday, May 5 at 1:00, with broadcasts on BCSN and ESPN+.
 
"Every game is a big game at this point in the season, and we need to come back tomorrow and finish the job," said Reinstetle.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Rockets put together three consecutive singles for a 1-0 lead in the first, with the RBI base knock courtesy of Brayden White.
• An EMU sacrifice fly tied the game in the third inning.
• Toledo loaded the bases in the third and Owen Jackson came home on a ground ball for a 2-1 lead.
• EMU tied the game in the fourth on an RBI single.
• Garret Pike's fifth-inning home run re-took the lead for Toledo, 3-2.
• The Eagles tied things up in the sixth on an RBI single, taking advantage of a passed ball.
• Luke Walton hit a sacrifice fly with runners on the corners to plate Jackson in the seventh for the game-winning run.