UNC Wilmington dropped the first of a two-game series against Toledo (5-5) Wednesday night at Brooks Field.

Each coming off a loss, it was a chance at redemption for both squads.

The Seahawks (6-7) have made this season one of come-from-behind victories, but thanks to efficient pitching from Toledo’s Luke Schaefer and Nate Haugh, who held UNCW to two hits in the final three innings, this was not one of those contests.

For the first time in two seasons, UNCW falls below .500 in the first 13 games.

Pitching struggles plagued the Seahawks, who called upon their bullpen four times tonight. Landen Roupp, who held the Rockets scoreless through the first two innings, gave up three runs total in the third and fourth.

“I thought Landen was throwing the ball well,” said UNCW coach Mark Scalf. “Then in the third inning it’s two outs and nobody on and we walk the leadoff hitter.”

This was a sign of things to come as Toledo scored a combined four runs in the fourth and fifth innings, giving the Rockets a 5-0 lead.

In the sixth inning, an RBI double from Jackson Meadows followed by a 2 RBI single from Cole Weiss put the Seahawks within striking distance, but Toledo held them at bay, coming away with the 5-3 win.

UNCW also had its share of struggles on the offensive end. Through the first five innings, the Seahawks only mustered three hits.

“Offensively, we made some mistakes on the bases. I didn’t think our approach was as good as it needed to be until the fourth or fifth inning,” said Scalf. “By that time, we finally started to square some balls up.”

Positive Takeaways

Despite the struggles, Scalf was able to find some positives in what was far from UNCW’s best outing.

“I liked the way Kevin Mintz came in and attacked the zone,” said Scalf. “I liked the way Nick Bruno and Blake Morgan came in and attacked it to keep us where we were — to give our offense a chance.”

Up next

UNCW prepares for game two of its two-game series with Toledo on Thursday. First pitch for that matchup is set for 4 p.m. This weekend, the Seahawks welcome Sienna to Brooks Field for a three-game series.

Stat of the game: Jackson Meadows and Cole Weiss’ dual RBIs in the sixth inning brought the Seahawks back into the game, cutting the deficit from five to two and giving life to the Seahawk offense.