TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo softball team entered Saturday with some good news and ended the day with something even better -- a doubleheader sweep of Buffalo at Scott Park.

With Akron's loss to Kent State in game two of their doubleheader on Friday, the Rockets officially clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2019.

Toledo (24-21, 14-10 MAC) added an exclamation point to its weekend with a pair of wins over the Bulls on Saturday, taking the first game 3-1 and the nightcap 2-1.  The Rockets are now in fourth place in the MAC with one regular-season game to play, the series finale with Buffalo tomorrow. The top six teams qualify for the tournament (May 8-11 in Akron, Ohio).

Freshman Mady Yackee (4-3) tamed the Bulls in game one, giving up one run in six innings, a home run in the fourth. Yackee relinquished five hits and one walk while striking out six.  Junior Kylee Graham came on in the seventh for her first save of the season. Junior Eli Enriquez went 2-for-3 and fifth-year senior Riley Mohr knocked in two runs to lead the offense.

Junior Sophia Knight (6-5) went the distance in the second game, allowing just four hits with no walks and four strikeouts. After allowing a run in the first inning, Knight did not allow a runner past first base until the seventh inning, when she pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam. Toledo eked out enough offense to win, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the third and a wild pitch in the fourth.

"Great teams keep their composure and find ways to get the job done in close games and we did that today," Head Coach Jessica Bracamonte said. "All three of our pitchers did a great job attacking hitters, throwing competitive pitches, and responding after failure. Our defense played great behind them to keep us in it and our offense pulled through when it mattered most. Really proud of how they worked together to take the series with these first two wins."

Toledo and Buffalo will meet in the series finale at Scott Park tomorrow at noon in the finale home appearance for the squad's senior class.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

Game One: Toledo 3, Buffalo 1

• Toledo opened the scoring in the first inning on an RBI single by Riley Mohr.
• Buffalo's Mia Mitchell tied the game with a leadoff homer in the fourth.
• The Rockets added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth on a double steal of home and a fielder's choice.
• Buffalo put two runners on with nobody out in the sixth, but Mady Yackee put the next three batters down in order.
• The Bulls put runners on the corners with two out in the seventh, but reliever Kylee Graham got Mitchell to fly out to end the game.

Game Two: Toledo 2, Buffalo 1

• Buffalo got on board first on a two-out RBI single in the opening frame.
• Pinch-runner Lexi Eckman scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sidney Griffith in the third inning.
• In the fourth inning, Lauren Erickson reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch.
• Buffalo put runners on the corners with one out, but Knight induced a pop up and a foul out to end the game.