UT falls 14-6 to Dayton

The University of Toledo’s baseball team fell 14-6 to Dayton on the road at Woerner Field on Tuesday. With the defeat, the Rockets fall to 3-18-1 on the season.

The Rockets were led by freshman third baseman Riley Campbell, who went 2-for-3 on the afternoon with two walks, three RBIs and a run scored.

Joining him with a multi-hit game were senior outfielder John Marillotta — who finished the game with three hits and two runs scored — and sophomore A.J. Montoya with two hits and an RBI.

Freshman righty Parker Ruffer took the loss in his first career start at UT. The freshman pitched only two innings, giving up four earned runs in the process.

The Rockets then needed to rely heavily on their bullpen with six pitchers coming on in relief.

The first out of the bullpen was freshman Luke Schaefer, who lasted all of one inning. He finished the afternoon giving up three hits and four runs.

Lasting the longest out of the pen was freshman Jake Stout who tossed two innings giving up two runs, only one being earned.

The Rockets recorded just a single strikeout in Tuesday’s contest and committed four errors.

With one out and one on in the top of the second inning, Martillotta singled on a bunt to third before advancing to second on a throwing error.

Freshman infielder Riley Campbell reached on an error that scored Martillotta and freshman Ross Adolph to put Toledo ahead 2-0. With just one out in the inning, Montoya singled to left, scoring Campbell from second.

The Flyers responded in the bottom half of the frame with four runs to take a 4-3 lead headed into the top of the third after a two-run bomb by junior Robbie Doring.

UT went to a pitching change to start the bottom of the third, going with right-hander freshman Luke Schaefer, but senior Aaron Huesman took full advantage of the freshman with a solo shot to left-center field to give the Flyers a 5-3 lead.

Dayton wasn’t finished — junior Nick Ryan joined the home run parade with hit a three-run jack, stretching the lead to 8-3 after three innings.

Dayton tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth after an error by UT’s right fielder.

The Rockets answered in the top of the fifth with an RBI single to left field by Campbell that brought in Martillotta and cut the margin to 9-4.

After tacking on one more in the bottom of the fifth, the Flyers scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Huesman singled to right for an RBI single off of Silberhorn. The Flyers added another run on a wild pitch, making it 12-4.

Campbell singled home Adolph in the top of the seventh but it wouldn’t be enough. In the bottom of the eighth, Geisler hit his second homer of the day to all but finish off the Rockets.

Dayton had just two scoreless innings on Tuesday’s contest.

Toledo will look to bounce back this weekend when they play a three-game series against Buffalo at Scott Park. The first pitch is scheduled for March 25 at 3:05 p.m.