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UT takes two of three against NIU

The Rockets explode, out-scoring the Huskies 12-4 over the weekend.

Photo Courtesy of UT athletics

Senior RHP Cameron Palmer (above) struck out nine batters in a 4-1 victory against Kent State earlier this season. Palmer leads the Rockets pitching staff with four wins on the season and an ERA of 2.08.

Keith Boggs, Sports Reporter

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Riding high off of a mid-week 5-0 win over No. 25 Notre Dame, the Toledo Rockets baseball team took this weekend’s series against Northern Illinois by winning two of three games.

Toledo (15-24, MAC 8-7) won their first game 5-0 and their second game 4-0 before dropping the series finally 4-3 in game two of Saturday’s double header.

On Friday, UT’s senior pitcher Cameron Palmer started, delivering a performance worthy enough to earn him Mid-American Conference West Division Pitcher of the Week honors.

Palmer (4-5) pitched seven dominant innings and yielded just one hit with four walks while retiring 11 batters. He holds a team-best 2.08 Era.

Junior relief pitcher Ross Atcher secured the shutout giving up only one additional hit.

“You have to start with the guy on the mound,” said Head Coach Cory Mee. “[Palmer] was outstanding. He gave us exactly what we needed in game one of the series. It’s the best I’ve seen him pitch for us this year.”

Offensively, freshman A.J. Montoya led the way with three hits and two runs batted in, including his sixth home run of the season. Freshman Dalton Bollinger also got in on the long ball when he belted his first collegiate home run in the sixth inning.

“All three of the freshmen have done a great job. They’ve worked really hard for us. They go out there and compete well,” Mee said. “And what really impresses me about them, they are not shy about situations. They go up there in big spots and put together solid at-bats.”

The Rockets were able to wrap up the series early on Saturday winning game one of the double header 4-0.

On the bump for UT was last week’s MAC pitcher of the week Steven Calhoun. He threw 5.3 scoreless innings, while striking out six. Senior pitcher Andrew Marra came in relief and shut the door on the Huskies, completing the third consecutive shutout for Rockets.

On the offensive side of the ball, junior SS Deion Tansel saw the ball well and went 3-for-4 at the plate. Junior Lucas Sokol, and freshmen AJ Montoya and Matt Henson all finished with two hits in the game as Toledo was credited with 12 hits in the game.

“Defensively, we played well,” Mee said. “We made a couple outstanding plays. Matt Henson in particular made a couple nice plays.

“We kept grinding. We were facing a tough pitcher but we made him work and finally we broke through.”

Toledo could not complete the sweep against the Huskies, falling short in game two of the doubleheader by a score of 4-3.

Senior Alec Schmenk earned the no decision after tossing six innings of work and giving up two earned runs.

UT jumped on the board first, Montoya scored in the first inning off a Tansel single up the middle. NIU would answer with two runs of their own in the top of the second taking a 2-1 lead all the way to the seventh inning.

The Huskies tacked on one more in the top half of the frame before Toledo managed two of their own in the bottom half.

With the game tied 3-3 in the ninth, NIU’s Justin Fletcher singled in the go-ahead run for the Huskies and claiming their first win of the series.

Junior Caleb Schillace took the loss for the Rockets, giving up five hits and two earned runs in just three frames.

Toledo has now won five of their last eight games

“I think we’re starting to play better,” Mee said. “We’ve talked about limiting the free bases we’re giving up. We’re pitching better and playing good defense. That’s why we’re playing better. There’s talent on this Rockets team, but they’re starting to do the little things right.”

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Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919.
UT takes two of three against NIU