Central Michigan University Athletics
Central Michigan University
Toledo
Baseball Completes Sweep of Toledo, 6-5 in 10 Innings
4/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 30, 2006
MOUNT PLEASANT - Troy Moratti singled home Cody Allen with the game-winning run in the 10th inning as Central Michigan University completed a three-game sweep of Toledo, 6-5, on Sunday at Theunissen Stadium.
The Chippewas improve to 28-17 overall, 13-5 in the Mid-American Conference, and maintain a one-game lead over Eastern Michigan in the conference's West Division. The Chippewas will host EMU in a critical three-game series next weekend.
CMU scored twice in the seventh, once in the eighth and once in the 10th to rally from a 5-2 deficit. Moratti, who finished the day 3-for-5 with three singles and was hit by a pitch, completed the comeback with his one-out single through the middle of a drawn-in infield. Allen scored from the second on the hit after leading off the 10th with a double.
A four-run seventh staked the Rockets (20-21, 7-11) to their 5-2 advantage. After the first two Toledo hitters were retired, a double, walk and single loaded the bases. Jake Swint then singled to center, scoring Joel Visser and Tom Stevison, and Allen's attempt to throw out Drew Hoisington at third sailed out of play. Hoisington was awarded home, Swint moved to third and then scored on a wild pitch to account for Toledo's final run.
The Chippewas answered with their own two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh. Moratti and Humphrey put together back-to-back run-scoring singles to pull CMU within 5-4.
CMU tied the score in the eighth, again pushing a run across with two outs. Brian Campbell, pinch-hitting for Tyler Stovall, looped a hit in shallow right over the out-reached glove of Stevison at second base that brought in Noah Lankford and tied the score at five.
The Chippewas looked to have a little two-out magic left in the ninth. Bryan Mitzel reached on an error, Eric Cannon on an infield single and Lankford on a walk, all with two outs, to load the bases, but a long fly-out to left by James Teas ended the inning.
Toledo put two runners on in the top of the 10th, but James Ricchio came out of the bullpen and struck out the pinch-hitting Sean Boley to end the threat.
Allen led off the home half of the 10th with a hustle double and Campbell was intentionally walked to set up the force play. J.T. Jones bunted the runners over, and Moratti sent everyone home with his solid single up the middle.
Ricchio recorded just the final out in the 10th, but improved to 2-2 on the year. Kurt Lauscher started for CMU and last 6-2/3 innings, but took a no-decision. Josh Ruhlman was again solid out of the bullpen, shutting Toledo out on three hits over 2-2/3 innings.
Joe Roberts, who leads the MAC with 10 saves, took the loss to fall to 1-1. He allowed two runs on four hits and walked four over the final 2-1/3 innings.
Hoisington was 4-for-5 with a double for the Rockets, while Swint drove in a pair of runs and scored twice.
Moratti and Humphrey both had three hits and drove in a pair for CMU, while Jones had two hits and scored twice.
CMU is off until next weekend, when Eastern Michigan makes the trip to Theunissen Stadium. Friday's series opener will be televised on Comcast Local, and all three games of the series will be broadcast on WMMI 830 AM.
