Bowling Green State University’s 6-foot-4, 249-pound right-handed pitcher Levi Gazarek got his first win of the season as the Falcons held on to defeat Toledo, 7-6, Saturday.

“It feels really good to get the win for the team. It was great to watch and great to see,” Gazarek said.

The Falcons’ win came during the nightcap of a doubleheader at Warren Steller Field, breaking Toledo’s 12-game winning streak and putting an end to BGSU’s three-game losing streak.

Toledo, which is 27-18 overall and 18-12 in the Mid-American Conference, won the opener, 6-1. BGSU is 14-29 and 11-21.

The two teams continued the Interstate-75 rivalry with a doubleheader beginning Sunday at Steller Field, then top off the five-game series with a 7 p.m. contest at the Toledo Mud Hens’ Fifth Third Field Tuesday.

In the Falcons’ win Saturday, Gazarek struck out two, walked one, and allowed six hits and three runs over five innings. Toledo scored all three runs in the first inning.

Toledo sophomore Scott Mackiewicz (Lake) hit a one-out base hit to left field. Mackiewicz was running on the pitch when senior John Servello singled to right field, putting runners on first and third.

Toledo freshman Garret Pike (Anthony Wayne) belted a long double to the right-center field gap, scoring Mackiewicz and Servello. Pike scored on a sacrifice fly to right field hit by junior Mason Sykes.

“They definitely have a lot of weapons on offense. In the first inning, they executed a perfect hit and run and got the runner to third base to extend the inning,” Gazarek said.

Then Gazarek, who is a tight end on the BGSU football team, settled in, allowing no runs on three hits over the next four innings.

“The splitter felt real good today,” Gazarek said. “I’ve hung with that a lot, and changing speeds, trying to keep it down in the zones. That felt good.”

BGSU coach Kyle Hallock was pleased with the way Gazarek responded after that first inning. It was Gazarek’s third start and 14th appearance for the Falcons.

“He made an adjustment and rolled,” Hallock said. “He’s learning what a good starting pitcher must be able to do. You can take a shot, but you must be able to bounce back and get five (innings).

“We bent a little bit, but we didn’t break. Levi took a shot that first inning, even though he made some good pitches. Credit to Toledo — they made some good swings,” Hallock continued.

BGSU senior Jeremy Spezia pitched three innings of relief, striking out one, walking one, allowing three hits and two earned runs.

The Falcons leading 7-6, BGSU redshirt sophomore Owen Recker came into the top of the ninth with the Rockets having the tying run, freshman Trey Wright, at second soon after he hit an RBI single to center field.

Recker walked freshman Brian Fry on four pitches, but then got sophomore Jeron Williams to pop up a sacrifice bunt attempt into the glove of BGSU senior Adam Furnas for the first out.

Recker then got Mackiewicz to hit an infield popup for the second out and Servello hit a grounder to senior shortstop Ryan Johnston, whose toss to second got Fry for the final out.

“Spezia comes in, pitches perfectly well for three innings and then we put in Owen Recker, who is a special arm and is going to have a lot of good days here, and we put them in a spot, and he grew up,” Hallock said.

“First and second with nobody out, and to get out of that without giving up a run. It’s special and he’s special. We’re getting some special performances out of some talented players.”

Gazarek could be visibly seen cheering after leaving the game as he witnessed his teammates preserve the win for him.

“I have great confidence in both Jeremy Spezia and Owen Recker that they were going to go out and get the job done, and they did it,” Gazarek said.

BGSU’s offense kicked in with a six-run fourth inning. The Falcons send 10 batters to the plate.

BGSU junior Adam Fallon led off by getting hit by a pitch and Gurney singled to left field, setting the table for Furnas, a Bowling Green High School graduate.

Furnas hit a line drive home run over the left field fence, tying the game at 3-3.

“I was looking for a pitch in my zone, which is the outer half of the plate,” Furnas said.

“He threw me one there the first pitch of the at bat, so I figured he’d go there again. He just threw a fastball, it stayed away, and I was able to get on top of it and do what I wanted to do.”

The line drive homer cut into a strong wind blowing in from right to left field.

“I didn’t think it was going over,” Furnas said. “Obviously, you could see the wind and the flag was coming in, so the goal was to stay on the ball and drive it the other way.

“I got the pitch to do that, I saw the outfielders running back, and I knew it was over his head, but I didn’t not think it was going over the fence.”

The rally continued after Furnas’ homer. Junior Jack Krause was hit by a pitch, juniors Tyler Ross and Justin Fugitt singled, and freshman Nathan Archer hit a two-RBI double as the Falcons plated three more runs.

In the sixth, BGSU senior Ryan Johnston reached on a walk, stole second and scored on a throwing error for what proved to be the Falcons’ seventh and game-winning run.

“Obviously, it feels good to take one from those guys,” Furnas said.

“I’m a local kid and grew up wearing these colors, and I’m not fond of those (UT) colors so it feels good to even the series up and get one going into tomorrow.”