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The UT softball team suffered four-straight losses this weekend in Mid-American Conference play at Scott Park. The Rockets lost both games in a doubleheader on Friday against Ball State University, and then lost on Saturday afternoon to Miami University (Ohio).
Their final loss came yesterday again to the RedHawks.
UT is now 6-24 overall, with a 2-8 record in MAC play.
The Rockets got out to an early one-run lead yesterday when junior Leslie Stong scored freshman Kate Ricchio on an RBI single.
After a scoreless second inning, Miami scored three runs, but the Rockets responded with two runs of their own to tie the game.
Senior Valerie Moxim doubled to score sophomore Alison Hess followed by a double by freshman Lacey LeVier to score Moxim.
The floodgates opened in the fourth inning as senior Stephanie Moore replaced freshman Hannah Rockhold on the mound and Miami got seven hits and added seven runs to the board to regain their lead.
UT only allowed the RedHawks to score one run in the final three innings, but could only come up with five runs in the final four innings.
Rockhold, who pitched three innings, took the loss for the Rockets.
Ricchio led the Rockets going 4-for-5 at the plate, scoring two runs. Sophomore Brie Ford and Hess each went 2-for-3 with Hess scoring two runs and Ford scoring one.
After two disappointing home losses on Friday, the Rockets looked to turn the weekend around as they took on the RedHawks on Saturday afternoon at Scott Park.
Moore got things going early for the Rockets and struck out the side to hold Miami scoreless in the first.
The Redhawks scored the first runs of the game, however, they took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Once again, the Rockets were in a position where they had to battle from behind.
Miami scored two more runs in the fourth and then had three runs in the top of the seventh, blanking Toledo 7-0 for the victory. It was the eighth time this season the Rockets were shutout.
Although Toledo had only one error in the game, it compensated it with just two hits compared to Miami's 13, and it proved to be the major difference maker in the outcome.
In Friday's first game, Ball State started things early with two runs in the first, and held the Rockets scoreless for the next two innings.
Toledo got back on track in the fourth, scoring four runs on just five hits. LeVier started things off with a double to knock in junior Megan McCauley. Fellow freshman Mica Sanchez then delivered a single to keep the momentum going.
Moxim's double drove in Sanchez and LeVier to give the Rockets a 3-2 edge. Stong then hit another single for the Rockets, which allowed Ricchio to score.
The Cardinals refused to quit, however, and scored a total of four runs over the next two innings to take a 6-4 lead over Toledo. The Rockets never recovered, finishing the game with a total of 11 hits and two errors.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Hess' two-run home run in the first gave the Rockets the early lead. It was Hess' third homer of the year.
Over the next five innings, the Rockets scored five runs and led the Cardinals 7-1 going into the final inning.
However, Ball State scored 16 runs in the top of the seventh to take a 10-run lead. Moxim's two-run home run and sophomore Brie Ford's RBI double were too little too late as the Cardinals pulled out another victory, 17-10.
The Rockets will travel to Youngstown State University on Wednesday for a two-game series against the Penguins before a four-game weekend at Central Michigan University and Eastern Michigan University.
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