Rockets Clipped in One-Run Affair Against Kent State, 4-3

Friday, May 15

Toledo, Ohio

3:00 p.m.

University of Toledo

28-27, 20-12

Kent State

40-12, 24-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Kent St.	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	0	0	4	7	0
Toledo	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	3	8	0

Hayden Frey throws a pitch against Kent State

Freshman Hayden Frey worked 5.0 innings, allowing three runs with five strikeouts to no walks in the middle game of Toledo's series against Kent State on Friday.

Photo by: Bree Bee

Rockets Clipped in One-Run Affair Against Kent State, 4-3

5/15/2026 6:06:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

JP Wagner and Cade Baker each tally multi-hit games for Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo baseball team dropped the middle game of the regular-season finale series against Kent State, as the two teams played their second-straight one-run game in a 4-3 final at Scott Park on Friday.

The Rockets (28-27, 20-12 MAC) led early, taking a 2-0 advantage after four innings. The Golden Flashes (40-12, 24-8 MAC) scored three in the fifth to take the lead, and added a key insurance run in the seventh to go up 4-2. Toledo got a run back in the eighth, but could not score the tying or winning run in the ninth.

Junior JP Wagner tallied his 11th multi-hit game of the season, in a 2-for-3 afternoon with two runs scored. Junior Cade Baker had his 21st multi-hit game of the season with two hits. Baker and junior Jacob Payne each delivered an RBI single.

Freshman Hayden Frey pitched 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and striking out five batters without a walk. He retired the first 11 batters of the game. Graduate student Deron Swanson worked the final four, with just one run and two hits surrendered, adding another five strikeouts.

The Rockets and Golden Flashes will conclude the series and the regular season on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Toledo will honor seven seniors before the game for Senior Day.

Top Rocket Hitters

JP Wagner – 2-for-3, 2 runs, 1 2B, 1 HBP
Cade Baker – 2-for-4, 1 RBI
Jacob Payne – 1-for-4, 1 RBI

Pitching Lines

Hayden Frey – 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks
Deron Swanson – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks

How it Happened

The Rockets strung together three singles in the second inning, with Jacob Payne's RBI tally putting Toledo up 1-0.
JP Wagner doubled to lead off the fourth inning and came around to score on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead.
Nolan Belcher led off the fifth with a home run to cut the deficit in half, 2-1. Then with two outs, an RBI double and RBI single gave the Golden Flashes the lead, 3-2.
Kent State got a runner on third run in the seventh and plated the run on an infield single for a 4-2 edge.
The Rockets put two runners on with two outs in the seventh, but a long flyout to center field ended the inning.
Toledo put runners on first and second in the eighth, before Cade Baker stepped up for a two-out single to cut the deficit to 4-3.
Liam Arsich extended the game with a hit by pitch in the ninth, but a strikeout concluded the contest.