Six-run sixth helps Mud Hens claim six inning win

The Toledo Mud Hens picked up a series split with the St. Paul Saints after claiming a storm-shortened six inning 7-3 victory on Sunday afternoon.
The pitching match-up was initially supposed to consist of Ashton Goudeau and Dallas Keuchel, but Beau Brieske would take the hill for the Mud Hens

The Toledo Mud Hens picked up a series split with the St. Paul Saints after claiming a storm-shortened six inning 7-3 victory on Sunday afternoon.

The pitching match-up was initially supposed to consist of Ashton Goudeau and Dallas Keuchel, but Beau Brieske would take the hill for the Mud Hens to ensure he pitched before incoming weather.

Brieske would begin the game by inducing a lineout from Andrew Stevenson. Jose Miranda would knock a single through the infield for the first hit of the game. Matt Wallner would popout and a Chris Williams strikeout would end the inning and the outing for Brieske. Brieske pitched 1.0 inning, allowing one hit and one strikeout.

Keuchel would be making his first appearance since last September after signing a minor league contract with the Saints earlier in the week. Keuchel looked like he never left, retiring the side in order with back-to-back strikeouts of Parker Meadows and Nick Solak and a lineout from Justyn-Henry Malloy.

Blair Calvo would pitch next for the Mud Hens in the second inning. Trevor Larnach would hit a leadoff double, but would then be erased on a 8-5-4 double play off the bat of Andrew Bechtold. Mark Contreras would walk and swipe second base. Anthony Prato would also walk, and both runners would execute a double steal to set-up the Saints offense. Elliot Soto would hit an RBI single, followed by a RBI single from Stevenson to put the Saints up 2-0. Miranda would ground into a fielder’s choice force out to end the inning with the Saints in the lead. That would end the night for Calvo, who pitched 1.0 inning, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks.

Joe Rizzo would leadoff the second inning with a single to center, but would be erased after Johan Camargo grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Keuchel would induce a groundout by Andre Lipcius to end the inning.

Anthony Misiewicz would enter in the third inning for the Mud Hens, coming off of the loss last night. Misiewicz induced a Wallner groundout for the first out of the inning. Williams would smack a single to put the Saints on the bases. Williams would be stranded after a Larnach strike out and a Bechtold popout to end the inning and the afternoon for Misiewicz, who pitched 1.0 inning, allowing one hit and one strikeout.

Keuchel would strike out Michael Papierski to open up the third inning. Andrew Knapp would launch his fifth home run of the season to put the Mud Hens on the board, with the score being 2-1. Keuchel would get Grant Witherspoon to strikeout and Meadows to groundout to end the inning.

Trey Wingenter would enter the game next for the Mud Hens in the fourth inning. Contreras would flyout to open the inning for the Saints. Prato would draw a one-out walk, but would be erased on a 4-3 double play off the bat of Soto.

Keuchel would return for the final time in the fourth inning for the Saints. Solak would begin the inning with a groundout. Malloy and Rizzo would then reach on back-to-back singles to try to get the offense rolling. Keuchel would then induce back-to-back groundouts from Camargo and Lipcius to end the inning and his outing. Keuchel pitched 4.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits (one home run) and four strikeouts.

Ashton Goudeau would enter for the Mud Hens in the fifth inning after initially being the scheduled starter. Goudeau would make quick work of the Saints in the fifth inning, needing just nine pitches to retire the side. Goudeau induced back-to-back groundouts from Stevenson and Miranda before getting Wallner to flyout to end the inning.

Kody Funderburk would enter the game in the fifth inning for St. Paul. Papierski would reach on a leadoff single to center. Back-to-back strikeouts of Knapp and Witherspoon had the Mud Hens with a runner on and two outs. Meadows would extend his on base streak to 15 games with a walk before Solak would lineout to end the inning, and the afternoon for Funderburk, who pitched 1.0 inning, allowing one hit, one walk and two strikeouts.

Goudeau would return to the mound to begin the sixth inning for the Mud Hens. Back-to-back walks of Williams and Larnach, followed by a Bechtold single would load the bases with no outs for St. Paul. Goudeau would strikeout Contreras for the first out. Prato would draw a bases loaded walk to bring home a run and put the Saints up 3-1. Goudeau would then strikeout Soto for the second out to end his outing. Zach Logue would enter the game and strikeout Stevenson on three pitches to get the Mud Hens out of the jam with minimal damage. The final line for Goudeau would be 1.2 innings pitched, allowing one run on one hit, three walks and two strikeouts. That would also be the end of the night for Logue as the storm came along. Logue claimed his second win to improve to 2-6 on the season, pitching 0.1 inning, striking out his lone batter.

Austin Schulfer would enter the game in the sixth inning for the Saints. Schulfer hadn’t pitched since taking the loss in the Mud Hens’ comeback win on Wednesday when he tallied his first loss and first blown save of the season. Lightning would strike twice in a row for Schulfer, even before the storms came in. Malloy drew a leadoff walk. Rizzo singled and moved Malloy to second base. Camargo drove in Malloy to make it 3-2 with two runners on and no outs. Lipcius singled in both Rizzo and Camargo to put the Mud Hens in front 4-3. The go-ahead single chased Schulfer from the game before he could even get an out. Cody Laweryson would enter the game to try to put out the fire. Laweryson would strikeout Papierski for the first out. Knapp would double to put runners on second and third with one out. Witherspoon reached on a fielder’s choice, in which they threw out Lipcius at home plate for the second out. Then Meadows would extend his hitting streak to 15 games with a two-run double to make it a 6-3 game. Solak would then tack on one more run with a RBI single, putting the game at 7-3. Malloy would then strikeout as the inning came full circle and the storms came. Schulfer would take both his second loss and his second blown save of the series and the season, dropping his record to 3-2, not recording an out while allowing four runs on three hits and one walk. Laweryson would tally 1.0 inning pitched, allowing two runs on three hits and two strikeouts.

The storms came and washed the game away, allowing the Mud Hens to claim a shortened victory, and a series split to end the first half of the season.

The Mud Hens will travel to Columbus for a six-game series beginning on Wednesday, June 28^th with first pitch coming at 7:05 pm ET.

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