I-Cubs Come Back to Even Series

DES MOINES, IA – The Iowa Cubs (47-56) evened the series with a comeback victory against the Toledo Mud Hens (51-51) on Friday at Principal Park, taking game four by a final score of 5-4.

The game began with six consecutive strikeouts between the two starting pitchers before Spencer Torkelson put the first ball in play with a double to lead off the second inning. He eventually came around to score, giving the Mud Hens a 1-0 lead. They added on in the third, taking advantage of an error and three walks to make it 2-0.

Iowa collected just one hit in their first trip through the lineup, but they got to Toledo starter Beau Brieske their second time around. Alfonso Rivas singled ahead of Matt Mervis, who drove in the first Iowa run with an RBI double.

Toledo had an answer in the next inning in the form of a Torkelson home run, which stretched their lead back to three. The Mud Hens put two on but stranded both in the sixth, then added on again in the seventh with a double, two walks, and a bases-loaded hit batter.

With the Mud Hens up 4-1, the I-Cubs began mounting a comeback in the seventh. Darius Hill singled, then Levi Jordan hit his fifth home run of the season to narrow Toledo’s lead to 4-3. The lineup wasn’t done, however. Rivas hit a one-out triple in the eighth, then Narciso Crook drove him in with a fielder’s choice. Mervis kept the line moving with a single before Hill drove in the go-ahead run with his second single in as many innings.

With the lead in hand, Iowa’s bullpen stepped up to the task. Dakota Mekkes walked one but pitched a scoreless eighth, then Brendon Little worked a one-two-three ninth to lock up the victory for the I-Cubs by a final score of 5-4.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Darius Hill went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games, which is two shy of the I-Cubs’ team high this season. He now leads the active roster in multi-hit games with 21.

• Jackson Frazier broke out of an 0-for-24 slump with a single in the second inning.

• Dakota Mekkes was credited with his first win of the season on 1.2 scoreless innings. He has not allowed a run since June 12, a streak that has spanned 8.1 innings.

• Brendon Little earned his first save of the season with Iowa after pitching a hitless, scoreless ninth.

Iowa will continue their series against Toledo tomorrow with the fifth game of the seven-game set. First pitch between the I-Cubs and the Mud Hens is set for 6:08. For more information and tickets, visit www.iowacubs.com.