Hens ride early offense to third straight win

COLUMBUS – The Toledo Mud Hens defeated the Columbus Clippers by a score of 8-3 at Huntington Park on Thursday afternoon.
Ashton Goudeau would get the start for the Mud Hens, with Adam Scott getting the nod for the Clippers.
Zack Short would tag Scott with a one-out single for

COLUMBUS – The Toledo Mud Hens defeated the Columbus Clippers by a score of 8-3 at Huntington Park on Thursday afternoon.

Ashton Goudeau would get the start for the Mud Hens, with Adam Scott getting the nod for the Clippers.

Zack Short would tag Scott with a one-out single for the first hit of the ballgame before being stranded on first base.

Goudeau would retire the side in order in the first inning.

Donny Sands would walk and score on a Jonathan Davis RBI triple to put the first run of the game on the board. J. Davis would come home to score on an Andrew Knapp RBI groundout to make the game 2-0.

David Fry cracked the hit column for the Clippers in the second inning with a one out single against Goudeau before being stranded.

Short would walk and steal second base with one out in the third inning before a Justyn-Henry Malloy walk and a two-out, two-run single by Ryan Kreidler made the game 4-0 in favor of the Mud Hens. That would be the end of the line for Scott, who pitched 3.0 innings, allowing four runs on three hits, three walks and two strikeouts. Scott would be given his first loss of the season, falling to 0-1.

The Clippers would threaten in the bottom of the third after back-to-back two out singles by Richie Palacios and Brayan Rocchio, followed by a Rocchio stolen base to put runners on second and third with two outs. Palacios would come home to score on a wild pitch to put Columbus on the board, making the score 4-1. Goudeau would strike out Bo Naylor to end the inning.

Touki Toussaint would enter the game in the fourth inning for Columbus. Andrew Knapp would hit an opposite-field solo home run to put the score at 5-1. The inning would end with Parker Meadows being thrown out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double.

Fry would be the lone baserunner to reach against Goudeau in the fourth inning following a hit-by-pitch.

Malloy would extend his hitting streak to 12 games with his one-out single in the fifth inning off of Toussaint before being erased on an Andre Lipcius inning-ending double play.

Goudeau would retire the side in order in the bottom of the fifth inning, becoming the first Mud Hen of the season to complete five innings in an outing. Goudeau would finish the game with 5.0 innings pitched, allowing one run on four hits while striking out eight batters, a season high by a Mud Hens pitcher. That outing was good enough to give Goudeau his first win of the season, making him 1-0.

Toussaint would not allow a run in the top of the sixth inning, despite allowing two walks in the frame. That would be the end of the night for Toussaint, who finished with 3.0 innings pitched, allowing one run on three hits (one home run), two walks and three strikeouts.

Andrew Magno would come on to pitch the sixth inning for the Mud Hens, promptly retiring the heart of the Clippers order 1-2-3.

Former Mud Hens pitcher Daniel Norris would come on to pitch the seventh inning for Columbus. Norris struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up a Short double and a Malloy two-run blast to put the Hens up 7-1.

Magno would get the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning before being chased due to two walks in the inning. Jace Fry would enter the game, retiring Palacios on three pitches to escape the jam and end the inning. Magno would finish the day having 1.2 innings pitched, allowing just two walks and two strikeouts.

Norris would remain in the game for the top of the eighth inning, only allowing a walk to Sands in the inning. Norris would finish the day with 2.0 innings pitched, allowing two runs on two hits (one home run), one walk and two strikeouts.

Fry would remain in the game for the bottom of the eighth inning, retiring the side while only allowing a walk to Naylor. Fry would his outing with 1.1 innings pitched, allowing one walk and two strikeouts.

Michael Kelly would enter to pitch the top of the ninth inning for Columbus. Kelly was greeted with a Brendon Davis solo home run to make the score 8-1. Meadows would follow with a single, then a walk and an error with two outs loaded the bases for the Mud Hens. Kelly would wind up striking out Sands to escape the jam and put an end to the Mud Hens offense for the day. Kelly’s final line ended up at 1.0 inning pitched, allowing one run on two hits (one home run), one walk and two strikeouts.

Miguel Del Pozo came on for Toledo in the ninth inning. Micah Pries greeted Del Pozo with a leadoff single, then moved up to second base on defensive indifference. After getting two outs and sending Columbus to the edge of defeat, Chris Roller would hit a two-run home run to put the game at its final score of 8-3. Del Pozo would get Palacios to lineout to end the game. Del Pozo would end his day with 1.0 inning pitched, allowing two runs on two hits (one home run).

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