TOLEDO, Ohio (Interstat) — The Toledo Rockets broke open a tight Mid-American Conference contest with a six-run seventh inning, cruising to a 10-2 victory over the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Thursday at Scott Park Baseball Complex.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded in the evening, was a pitchers’ duel through six innings before the Rockets’ offense erupted. Toledo sent 12 batters to the plate in the decisive seventh, capitalizing on timely hitting and Eastern Michigan’s faltering bullpen to turn a 4-2 lead into an insurmountable 9-2 advantage.

The most important part of the game unfolded in that bottom of the seventh. Leading by two runs, Toledo loaded the bases with one out against reliever Tommy Rose on a hit-by-pitch and a walk. After a pitching change, Liam Arsich drove in a run with an infield single to make it 5-2. The floodgates then opened when Alex McCranie hit a sharp single back to the mound. A throwing error by pitcher Gregory Kennedy allowed three unearned runs to score, with McCranie and Luke Walton crossing the plate and Arsich coming all the way around from first. JP Wagner later added an RBI single to cap the six-run outburst, which featured only four hits but was fueled by two walks, two hit batters and the critical error.

Toledo improved to 13-15 overall, while Eastern Michigan fell to 10-18.

The Rockets’ offense was paced by Cade Baker, who went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, and Wagner, who drove in three runs, including two on a key triple in the sixth that provided initial separation. Jacob Payne added two RBIs. Toledo finished with 14 hits.

Eastern Michigan managed eight hits but stranded multiple runners. Bruce Jellison drove in both Eagles runs, with an RBI single in the second and a groundout in the fourth. Starter John Carmichael kept the Eagles close through six innings, but the bullpen combination of Rose, Kennedy and Ethan Davis could not stem the Toledo rally in the seventh.

Nathan Leininger started and earned the win for Toledo, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings. Nate Langbehn provided three scoreless innings of relief to secure the victory.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 7-4 Eastern Michigan win, though Toledo’s ELO probability rating gave the Rockets a 64 percent chance to win.

The two teams continue their conference series at Scott Park on Friday and Saturday.