Toledo drops a battle of the bats vs. Omaha

Toledo, OH- The Toledo Mud Hens (9-13) fell to the Omaha Storm Chasers (12-9) on Tuesday, April 21, in a 10-5 home run loaded game. Tonight’s matchup was delayed an hour and a half due to inclement weather, pushing first pitch back to 8:05p.m.

Both teams got bats to balls in the first inning, but neither earned a base hit. In the top of the second, the Storm Chasers first batter up popped one over the fence for the first hit, run, and home run of the night (1-0). Bryan Sammons and the Mud Hens defense responded by shutting out the next three.

Corey Julks earned the first hit for the hens with a sharp single to left field; he followed a walk from Jace Jung, leaving two runners on. Luke Ritter stepped up to bat with a chip on his shoulder. Garnering his first hit as a Mud Hen, he ripped a single to the left for a two-out RBI and tied the game for Toledo. (1-1)

Eduardo Valencia and Gage Workman worked quickly to catch a Storm Chaser stealing but a second Omaha homer followed, quickly putting the visitors back on top in the third. (2-1) Sammons threw his first strikeout of the day to end the inning.

The fourth included home runs three and four, the fourth bringing in two to extend the lead (5-1). Three consecutive strikeouts from Sammons stopped the bleeding.

Tyler Gentry sent a three-run bomb over the fences against his former team to narrow the gap. (5-4) Max Burt followed with his third double of the year, but the score held.

Omaha added two new home runs in the fifth, this time off Matt Seelinger’s arm. Five total points got put on the board by the visiting batting order. (10-4) The bases were loaded for the Hens in the bottom half, but they were not able to capitalize.

Konnor Pilkington followed Seelinger on the bump, pitched two innings and struck out three.

Neither team added a run again until the seventh. Jace Jung grounded out but allowed Workman to make it home from second following his eighth double on the year. (10-5) 1-2-3 innings retired both teams in the eighth, and the score held in favor of the Storm Chasers through the ninth.

The Toledo Mud Hens look for a win as they continue their home stand on Wednesday, April 22, for game two vs. the Storm Chasers. First pitch set for 6:35p.m. at Fifth Third Field.

Notables

T. Gentry – 1/3, 1HR, 3RBI, 1BB

G. Workman – 3/4, 1R, 1BB, 0K

K. Pilkington – 2.0IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 3K