CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Toledo's offense froze on the second day of games at the Frost Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Saturday. Limited to just three runs in two games, UT fell 9-1 to Missouri State in five innings and dropped a 9-2 contest to Eastern Kentucky. The Rockets fall to 1-3 on the season and will close out the season-opening tournament on Sunday, Feb. 24 against Boston College at 10:00 a.m.
The Midnight Blue & Gold totaled nine hits combined on Saturday after collecting 13 knocks against NC Central on Friday. UT also committed three errors in the first game against the Bears, but cleaned up the defense with no errors in the second game.
In the first game, Toledo scored first after freshman Marla Gooding reached on a double and senior Lindsey Tobias knocked her in with a two-out single to right field. Gooding's double was the third in four at-bats dating back to Friday.
Missouri State answered with a run in the first and threatened by loading the bases, but sophomore Alli Beery induced a line-drive out to end the inning tied 1-1.
The Bears broke the game open with three runs in each of the third and fourth innings. Beery (2.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 BB) lasted just one out into the third and was pulled after three walks and two errors led to the MSU runs. Gooding came into the game, but struggled by allowing the final five runs on eight hits. The game ended after the Bears tacked on two runs in the fifth to reach the eight-run mercy rule after five.
Senior CF Kristen Roznoski went 2-for-2 at the plate, while Gooding (1-3), sophomore LF Alyssa Smith (1-2), Tobias (1-2) and sophomore 1B Leigh Nebendahl (1-2) each recorded a hit.
UT stranded four runners and MSU left eight runners on base.
The second game saw even less production out of UT as the Rockets tallied just three hits against EKU's Leanna Pittsenbarger. UT scored once in each of the first two innings, but that was all Pittsenbarger allowed through seven innings of work.
Tobias tripled in the first inning to bring her season RBI total to four, while scoring junior Lani Ernst who singled earlier in the inning. EKU took the lead in the bottom of the first when Katie Tackett belted a two-run homer off Gooding, but UT freshman Jen Behunin connected on her first-career long ball to tie the score at two in the top of the second.
The Colonels added another run in the third and then took the lead for good with three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. The Rockets were held hitless after the second inning and reached base safely twice the rest of the game.
Following Sunday's tournament finale, UT will travel to Clearwater, FL for the Under Armour Invitational. Notably, the Rockets will play a rematch against the Colonels at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 1.
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