KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team completed its first Mid-American Conference series of the season on Monday by dropping both ends of a doubleheader against Toledo, 7-5 and 13-4.
 
FINAL SCORE (G1): Toledo 7, Western Michigan 5 (F/7)
LOCATION: Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field
RECORDS: Western Michigan (4-12, 2-1 MAC) | Toledo (8-10, 3-4 MAC)   
W: Jordan Power (2-1) | L: Nick Crandell (0-2) Save: Cal McAninch (2)
 
FINAL SCORE (G2): Toledo 13, Western Michigan 4
LOCATION: Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field
RECORDS: Western Michigan (4-13, 2-2 MAC) | Toledo (9-10, 4-4 MAC)   
W: Connor Brandon (3-2) | L: Joe Shapiro (0-3)
 
Gavin Doyle posted a pair of hits in each game and also drew a pair of walks to reach base a team-high six times for the day. Connor Charping and Josh Swinehart collected three knocks apiece, while Swinehart and Jimmy Allen each drove in three runs.
 
On the pitching side, Ethan Houghtaling worked two-and-two-thirds innings of relief in the opener without allowing an earned run and collected a career-high four strikeouts. Joe Shapiro took the ball to start game two and tossed a career-high five-and-a-third innings while registering a new career-best six strikeouts.
 
Toledo scored the first four runs in the opener, before Charping scored in the last of the third to get Western Michigan on the board.
 
After the Rockets pushed the margin to 6-1 with a two-run fifth, Allen plated Charping with a single to trim the gap to 6-2 after five innings.
 
Each team tallied a run in the sixth, keeping Toledo in front by four, 7-3, heading into the final frame.
 
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Will Morrison and Allen hit back-to-back home runs to pull the Broncos within two, 7-5. Cade Sullivan followed with a double, and a Doyle single then put the tying runs on for WMU with one out. However, Toledo picked up back-to-back strikeouts to halt the rally and seal the game one victory.
 
Game two remained scoreless until the Rockets broke the deadlock with a run in the top of the third. In the home half, Swinehart evened the score with a solo blast, and Allen brought in Morrison with a single to put WMU ahead, 2-1.
 
Toledo tied it with a run in the fourth, then used a four-run sixth to move in front, 6-2. Western Michigan came right back with two in the last of the sixth on run-scoring hits by Dylan Nevar and Swinehart.
 
The Rockets tallied seven runs in the seventh to put the game beyond reach.
 
Western Michigan continues its homestand on Friday, March 25, as it welcomes Ball State to Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field to begin a four-game series. First pitch for Friday's series opener is slated for 3:05 pm.