Toledo, OH – The Toledo Mud Hens opened a series up in Toledo against the Iowa Cubs and took the opening game in Toledo 11-6.
Krieder Montero made the start on the mound for the Mud Hens to open the series. Montero retired the first three batters he faced to
Toledo, OH – The Toledo Mud Hens opened a series up in Toledo against the Iowa Cubs and took the opening game in Toledo 11-6.
Krieder Montero made the start on the mound for the Mud Hens to open the series. Montero retired the first three batters he faced to get the game started.
Riley Thompson got the start on the mound for the Cubs and similar to the top of the first inning. With one out, Justyn-Henry Malloy doubled to right-center field for the game’s first hit. Unfortunately, a ball in the dirt that was blocked by ICubs catcher Bryce Windham saw Justyn-Henry Malloy being thrown out at third trying to swipe the bag. Colt Keith picked the Mud Hens right back up by roping a double to right field to put himself in scoring position with two outs. Tyler Nevin then smoked a double off the wall in left-center field to score Keith and give the Mud Hens a 1-0 lead.
Montero pitched the first three innings of the game without allowing a hit striking out three batters and walking two.
The rain started to fall in Toledo for the bottom of the third inning, and immediately the Mud Hens put runners on first and second with just one out. Colt Keith then lined a single to left field to load the bases for Tyler Nevin. Nevin singled on a ground ball through the middle of the infield to add two more Mud Hens runs. The ICubs went to the bullpen after the single and turned to Samuel Reyes to get the final out.
In the top of the fifth inning inning, Bryce Windham drew a walk with just one out in the inning. The Cubs were held hitless until Luis Vasquez hit a two-run home run out to center field to give the ICubs their first two runs of the game and make it a 3-2 Mud Hens lead.
The Mud Hens responded quickly in the bottom of the fifth inning. With no outs and runners on first and second, Colt Keith lined a single to center field and gave the Hens a 4-2 lead. The ICubs went to Brendon Little out of the bullpen after Keith’s single. Later in the inning, the Mud Hens would get the bases loaded with one out for Andre Lipcius. Lipcius smoked a 3-RBI triple off the left-center field wall to give the Hens a 7-2 lead. With the runner on third, Ryan Kreidler grounded out to third but Lipcius came across to score and make it a 8-2 ball game.
After allowing a walk to the first batter Montero faced in the sixth inning, Mud Hens manager Anthony Iapoce went to Sam Clay out of the bullpen. With runners on first and second and two outs in the inning, Jack Slaughter crushed a three-run home run to cut the Mud Hens lead down to 8-5 and quickly bring the ICubs back in the ball game.
After getting into some trouble with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, The Mud Hens went to Sean Guenther to replace Clay on the mound. Yonathan Perlaza roped a double to left and score Luis Vasques to make it a 8-6 ball game.
The Mud Hens continued to respond in the home half of the inning. Cam Sanders came into the game to pitch the bottom of the seventh. With a runner on first base and one out, Eddys Leonard roped a double into right-center field that scored Nick Maton all the way from first to make it a 9-6 ball game.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Mud Hens had runners on first and second with two outs for Nick Maton. Maton singled up the middle and into centerfield to score another Mud Hens run and make it 10-6. Later in the inning with the bases loaded Eddys Leonard was hit by pitch to score the 11th run of the game for the Mud Hens.
In the bottom of the ninth inning the Mud Hens went to Miguel Diaz to secure the win. Diaz retired the side in order to secure the series opener and the 11-6 victory for the Hens
Notables:
Colt Keith – 4-5, 2 R, RBI
Tyler Nevin – 2-4, R, 3 RBI, BB
Andre Lipcius – 1-4, R, 3 RBI, BB, 3B