The Mud Hens beat the Clippers 6-4 on a rainy night in Columbus, OH. Toledo benefited from a strong pitching performance from their bullpen and some well-timed hits.

Toledo got off to a slow start, giving Columbus a clean frame to start the game. Columbus on the other hand got off to a hot start with Juan Brito hitting a one-out home run to take a 1-0 lead.

The Hens found their first hit with Keston Hiura getting on base with a line drive to left field. Bligh Madris then made his way to first base after catcher interference was called on Bryan Lavastida. Columbus was then able to pick up three straight outs to keep Toledo scoreless.

Brant Hurter looked strong in the second inning. He went one, two, three with two strikeouts and a flyout in foul territory caught by Justice Bigbie.

Justyn-Henry Malloy was the only Mud Hen to get a hit in the third inning. He took Xzavion Curry deep into left field for his tenth double of the season. Curry was caught in a bit of a jam after walking Jace Jung, but got out of it with a Hiura strikeout.

The bottom of the third began with a light bunt off of the bat of Jose Tena. He didn’t spend much time on base as Lavastida hit a grounder to Ryan Vilade who earned the unassisted double play. The inning then closed with a Myles Straw fly out.

The fourth inning was big for the Mud Hens. It began with a Madris lead-off double. Jung then drew another walk from Curry to put runners at first and second. Vilade was able to bring in Madris with a sacrifice fly that went deep into right field, tying the game 1-1. Former Ohio State catcher, Dillon Dingler, looked right at home when he hit a two-run homer to take the 3-1 lead. The home run would be his fourth of the season and the second of the series in Columbus.

Hurter returned to the rubber in the bottom of the fourth inning. He would find himself in a bit of a jam after walking Brito and Johnathan Rodriguez, but escaped with some help from Jung and Akil Baddoo.

Curry’s fifth inning would be short lived as Jung blasted one to put Toledo up 4-1. Curry followed that up by walking Hiura, which promptly ended his day. The Clippers brought out Tanner Burns to take Curry’s place. Burns was able to pick up two outs, but really struggled to get the third. Vilade took him deep to take a 6-1 lead. Dingler then earned a base hit and Andrew Navigato drew a walk to quickly put the Hens back into scoring positions. A wild pitch advanced the base runners to third and second with Baddoo up to bat. Baddoo was unable to bring them home though as he went down swinging.

The bottom of the fifth inning Columbus caught fire. Daniel Schneemann had a double off of the wall to lead off. Tena then laid a bunt down the right field line that Hiura couldn’t get in time to tag him. Lavastida brought in Schneemann and moved Tena to third with his own double off the wall. After walking Straw and loading the bases, Hurter’s day on the mound came to a close. Mason Englert took over with no outs and the game-tying run at the plate. Brito batted into a double play that Vilade and Navigato calmly took care of, but not before Tena could score. Englert escaped with only one run being scored after Kyle Manzardo flew out to center field.

The Clippers came out in the sixth with a new pitcher on the mound. Jaime Barria took over on the mound with Burns only being credited for the one inning. Barria went one, two, three and picked up a strikeout in the process.

As Toledo took the field, they would make some substitutions in the bottom of the sixth. Riley Unroe came in at second base, which moved Vilade to right field and put Malloy on the bench. This came following an apparent injury to Malloy during his at bat in the top of the sixth.

Englert continued to dominate on the mound, drawing a groundout and a strikeout before giving up a base hit to Jhonkensy Noel. Things looked shaky when he walked Schneemann, but Englert escaped with a grounder from Tena to keep it a 6-3 game.

The rain began to pour as the seventh inning began. Barria didn’t seem to mind up on the mound though, as he struck out Madris and Jung before drawing a flyout out of Vilade.

Trying to cling onto their lead, Toledo brought Brennan Hanifee out to take over for Englert. Hanifee had a hard time, walking Lavastida and Brito. Manzardo was able to advance the two base runners with a deep flyout to Baddoo. The Clippers were left stranded though as Rodriguez struck out.

Despite Barria’s success on the mound, Columbus brought out Franco Aleman to try and keep the Clippers in the game. Aleman picked up right where Barria left off though, going one, two, three on three straight strikeouts.

Following Hanifee’s inning on the mound, the Hens brought southpaw Sean Guenther to replace Hanifee. Guenther wasted no time, getting three groundouts to take the game into the ninth inning.

Columbus continued to claw through their bullpen, bringing Anthony Gose to the rubber to begin the ninth inning. Jung led off with a base hit and then moved to second thanks to a Hiura walk. A walk drawn by Bigbie loaded the bases with two outs and brought Vilade up to bat. Vilade almost brought the runs in, but his hit would fall just short of the wall and into the glove of Noel.

Looking to end the game, Toledo brought out Devin Sweet. Sweet was able to pickup a strikeout and a flyout before giving up a base hit to Straw. The Clippers were able to cut into the Toledo lead with an RBI double from Brito. It would be too late for Columbus though as Manzardo went down swinging and Toledo came out on top 6-4.

The Mud Hens and the Clippers will face off again on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. With the series tied at two games each, the winner of Saturday’s game will take the series lead.

Notables:

Jace Jung 2-4, HR, BB, RBI, R

Dillon Dingler 2-4, 2 RBI, R

Mason Englert 2.0 IP, W, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K