Rockets Fall to Mastodons in Extra Innings, 8-7

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo baseball team fell to Purdue Fort Wayne at home on Tuesday, 8-7, in 10 innings in non-conference action.

The Rockets (25-27) grabbed the lead with a five-run fourth inning, but scored just one more run over the final six innings. The Mastodons tied the game in the top of the ninth and scored a run in the 10^th to take the lead, and UT was unable to answer in its last trips to the plate.

Toledo slugged three home runs on Tuesday. Junior Jeron Williams, junior Scott Mackiewicz, and freshman Wesley Parker all hit homers against the Mastodons. Williams also stole a base, his 49^th theft of the season. The Archbold, Ohio native leads the country in stolen bases and is one away from tying the Mid-American Conference record of 50 steals by Central Michigan’s Larry Lamphere in 1988.

Mackiewicz drove in a season-best three RBIs, all of which came home on his home run. Parker went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, and sophomore Owen Jackson reached base three times and scored twice.

Seven different pitchers saw time on the mound, with sophomore Patrick Dillon making his fifth start of the season.

Toledo wraps up its regular season this weekend at home vs. Bowling Green.

The Battle of I-75 heads to Fifth Third Field this Friday, May 19. Tickets are still available for the battle between the Rockets and Falcons in Downtown Toledo. Tickets can be purchased through the Toledo Mud Hens Ticket Office by visiting  utrockets.com/FifthThirdField to purchase tickets.

How it Happened

• Grant Thoroman provided the Mastodons with a big early boost with a three-run home run in the top of the second.
• Wesley Parker led off the bottom of the second with a home run to get the Rockets on the scoreboard.
• Another Purdue Fort Wayne home run extended its lead to 4-1, this time it was Braedon Blackford leaving the yard.
• Brian Fry made it 4-2 with an RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom of the fourth, then Scott Mackiewicz gave Toledo its first lead of the game with a three-run homer to right field.
• Jeron Williams’s solo homer capped a five-run fourth inning and made it 6-4.
• Parker extended the lead to 7-4 with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
• PFW’s Blackford made it a one-run game with a two-RBI double in the top of the eighth, plating two runs to make the score 7-6.
• A sac fly in the top of the ninth tied the score at 7-7, and the Rockets didn’t answer in the bottom half of the inning to send the game into extras.
• Purdue Fort Wayne loaded the bases in the top of the 10^th and Colton Shirley’s RBI single gave his team an 8-7 lead.
• The Rockets were sent down in order in the bottom of the 10^th to end the game.