Rocket Baseball Takes Three From Eastern

By: Connor Barrus

TOLEDO, OHIO - The Toledo Rockets baseball team picked three straight

wins on Thursday and Friday for their second conference sweep of the

season as they faced Eastern Michigan at Scott Park.

In Game 1, the Rockets went back and forth in the first four innings,

but a 5 run surge in the bottom of the seventh inning secured a 10-2 win

behind 14 hits and 8 RBIs.

Third baseman JP Wagner led at the plate, going 2-4 with 3 RBIs and

right-handed pitcher Nathan Leininger led the mound with eight

strikeouts, improving to 6-0 on the season.

Game 2 resulted in a close 6-4 victory to secure the series for the

Rockets, holding off a late comeback attempt from the Eagles as Eastern

scored 2 runs in the final two innings. The Rockets recorded 7 hits, 5

RBIs, and 2 home runs from first baseman Jacob Payne and out fielder

Cade Baker with one each.

Left-handed pitcher Hayden Frey bagged seven strikeouts, improving to

4-0 on the mound.

In Game 3, Eastern at first looked to at least walk away with one win

over Toledo, leading 4-0 midway through the third inning until JP Wagner

scored off a ground out from infielder Charlie Scholvin to finally get

Toledo on the board. In the fifth inning with Eastern leading 8-5,

Toledo began to get the bats going as they lit up the inning with 14

runs, issuing a mercy rule by the seventh inning, 23-8 with three home

runs and 16 hits.

Toledo loaded the bases five times and forced three pitching changes

from Eastern in the same inning.

Infielder Troy Sudbrook and catcher Carson McCaleb both had grand slams

and first baseman Jackson scored a two run homer. Left-handed pitcher

Deron Swanson led the mound, handing out four strikeouts.

The Rockets now stand at 15-15 overall and 12-4 in MAC Play, overtaking

Ball State for second in the standings behind Kent State. Toledo will

travel to Rochester, Michigan on April 7th for a single game against

Oakland.