Baseball | May 10
Box Score DeKALB, Ill. – The Toledo Rockets scored three runs in the first inning and did not look back in an 8-2 win over the Northern Illinois University baseball team Saturday at Ralph McKinzie Field at Walt & Janice Owens Park.
Toledo (24-27, 13-13 MAC) got on the board in the top of the first when Troy Sudbrook hit into a fielder's choice that scored Kaleb Herbert from third base. After Charlie Scholvin was hit by a pitch, Cole Cahill hit a single to left center that scored Sudbrook and put the Rockets up 2-0. A
Ty Brachbill (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) wild pitch allowed Scholvin and made the score 3-0.
"Ty wasn't sharp early, but he ended up settling down and was pretty good in giving us a chance," said head coach
Ryan Copeland. "We just couldn't get to their starter. He threw a lot of strikes with his fastball, had some sink to it and we just kept hitting it into the ground."
NIU (20-30, 8-18 MAC) got its first hit in the game with two outs in the bottom of the fourth on a
Gavin Baldwin (Nashville, Ill./SEMO) double, breaking a streak of 11 consecutive batters retired by Toledo starting pitcher Jackson Bergman. The Rockets extended their lead 6-0 with single runs scored in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
The Huskies got on the board in the bottom of the seventh.
Will Couchman (Edina, Minn./NIACC) reached on a single to right center with one out, then stole second base. A groundout off the bat of designated hitter
Andrew Smart (Evanston, Ill./Oakton CC) advanced Couchman to third. Couchman scored on a Bregman wild pitch to make the score 6-1.
NIU had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the eighth.
Cooper Cohn (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) led off with a walk. Toledo relief pitcher RJ Shunck entered the game and loaded the bases by hitting
Nolan Sandee (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) with a pitch and allowing a bunt single to
Charlie Parcell (Des Plaines, Ill./Maine West). After a popout for the first out, Baldwin drew a walk to score Cohn and make the score 6-2. Shunck stemmed the rally with a strikeout and groundout. Toledo added two runs in the ninth to make the final score 8-2.
"It was just one of those days were we were not very good offensively," Copeland said after the Huskies were held to two runs on four hits. "We had an opportunity in the eighth with the tying run at the plate and we just couldn't come through. We have to find a way to bounce back tomorrow and win the series."
Couchman was 2-for-4 in the game with a stolen base and a run scored. Brachbill allowed four runs in five innings on seven hits, striking out three Rockets batters.
Nick Bassi (Zionsville, Ind./St. Charles CC) threw a scoreless inning of relief in the eighth.
The series wraps up on Sunday, May 11 at 1 p.m. NIU Baseball will honor its 10 seniors for Senior Day with a pregame ceremony at 12:30 p.m.
--NIU--
