The duo of Tyler Collins and Mike Gerber propelled the Toledo Mud Hens to a hard-fought win over the Indianapolis Indians 4-3 on Saturday night. Collins finished a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI and Gerber collected three hits, including a two-run home run.
The duo of Tyler Collins and Mike Gerber propelled the Toledo Mud Hens to a hard-fought win over the Indianapolis Indians 4-3 on Saturday night. Collins finished a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI and Gerber collected three hits, including a two-run home run.
AJ Ladwig got the win in his second start of the season with the Mud Hens, throwing the first 5.0 innings, allowing six hits, one earned run, one walk and struck out four.
In the top of the first, Indianapolis put two men on with a Danny Ortiz double and a Joey Terdoslavich walk. However, AJ Ladwig was able to strand them.
In the bottom of the inning, Omar Infante singled with one out and Gerber followed with a no-doubt home run to left field. It was his first big fly at the Triple-A level. After one inning of action, the Hens led 2-0.
Ladwig fired another scoreless frame in the second and Toledo put two men on as Brendan Ryan doubled and Jim Adduci singled but Indianapolis hurler Tyler Eppler induced an inning ending groundout.
Leading off the third inning, Gerber stayed hot with a double to right field. Tyler Collins followed with an RBI single to center to push the Toledo advantage to 3-0.
The Indians would get one run back in each of the fourth and fifth innings to cut the lead to just one. Gift Ngoepe's single scored Jacob Stallings in the fourth inning, while Ortiz hit a sac fly that brough home Kevin Newman.
Logan Kensing pitched a shutout sixth inning for the Hens in relief, allowing just a walk and struck out one batter. Kurt Spomer and Kyle Ryan split duties in the top of the seventh to keep the score at 3-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Toledo threatened to score with two-out base runners Infante who was hit by a pitch, and Gerber who collected his third hit of the game. That prompted Indy to go to the pen to bring in Dan Runzler. Collins greeted him with his fourth hit of the game to score pinch runner Luis Valdes. Grayson Greiner walked to load the bases with two outs, but Runzler got out of it by getting Jason Krizan to groundout.
Bruce Rondón came on in the top of the eighth to preserve a 4-2 lead. Despite issuing a leadoff walk to Ortiz, he was able to work out of the inning by retiring the next three, including a strikeout.
After a scoreless bottom of the eighth, Edward Mujica entered in the top of the ninth looking for his 20th save of the season. He allowed the Indians to get within one as Gift Ngeope doubled home a run. With the tying run on third with one out, Mujica recorded a strikeout and a groundout to close it down.
Tomorrow's matchup against Indianapolis is set to begin at 6:05 p.m. for the second to last game of the season for the Mud Hens.
