Parker Meadows homers twice as Hens split doubleheader in Indianapolis

Toledo Mud Hens 8, Indianapolis Indians 6 (Gm1)(F/9)(box)

Indianapolis Indians 5, Toledo Mud Hens 3 (Gm2)(F/7)(box)

Keider Montero had his worst start of the season, but the Hens’ offense had enough firepower to take Game 1 anyway.

Montero gave up a home run to Henry Davis in the bottom of the first to give Indy a 1-0 lead. The Hens fought back in the top of the third.

Buddy Kennedy and Andrew Navigato doubled back-to-back to open the third inning to tie the game. Parker Meadows struck out, but Justyn-Henry Malloy doubled in Navigato to give Toledo a 2-1 lead.

However, Montero gave the lead right back in the bottom of the third. Three straight hits with one out plated a pair for Indy and gave them a 3-2 lead. A walk and a double allowed in the fourth made it 4-2 Indy.

The Hens got one back in the fifth when Kennedy led off with a walk and stole second. A Navigato single scored him to make it 4-3 Indy. Navigato stole second and Malloy followed with a walk, but they couldn’t push across another run. They missed another good chance in the sixth, but in the seventh, with the Hens down to their final three outs, Parker Meadows launched a solo shot to tie the game.

Devin Sweet handled the seventh and the eighth for the Hens, striking out four to a hit and two walks allowed. He kept them off the board, and in the top of the 10th the Hens finally seized control.

With Kennedy starting on second base, Navigato struck out, but Meadows was hit by a pitch and Malloy walked to load the bases. Riley Unroe singled to left and cleared the bases with the help of an error on Indy’s left fielder. 7-4 Hens. Keston Hiura singled in Unroe and the Hens took an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

Trey Wingenter had some trouble, allowing two runs on a home run, but shut the door from there.

Navigato: 2.4 R, 2 RBI, 2B, K

Malloy: 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K

Meadows: 1-4, 2 R, RBI, HR, 2 K

Montero: 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, BB, 2 K

One bad inning sunk Brant Hurter in Game 2, and the Hens offense didn’t really get anything going until it was too late.

The big lefty surrendered a run in the first after a Buddy Kennedy throwing error allowed the leadoff man to reach. He settled things down for two innings, but in the fourth Jake Land and Malcolm Nuñez singled with one out and Llover Peguero lifted a three-run shot over the center field wall to make it 4-0 Indy.

The Hens got on the board in the sixth, when Parker Meadows led off with his second home run of the day.

Ty Adcock took over in the bottom of the sixth, and Nuñez greeted him with a solo shot that made it 5-1 Indy.

In the top of the seventh, with two outs left to make a comeback, Justice Bigbie singled and Bligh Madris launched a two-run shot to center field. That was as close as they’d come to the lead, unfortunately.

Meadows: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, K

Madris: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 K

Hurter (L, 1-2): 5.0 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: Friday night’s matchup is set for a 7:05 p.m. ET start time.

Erie SeaWolves 6, Harrisburg Senators 2 (Gm1)(F/7)(box)

Erie SeaWolves 4, Harrisburg Senators 0 (Gm2)(F/7)(box)

The SeaWolves jumped out to an early lead in Game 1 and got good pitching from Garrett Burhenn and RJ Petit to keep the Senators under wraps.

The game started with a Gage Workman line drive single, Carlos Mendoza getting hit by a pitch, and Hao-Yu Lee reaching on an infield single to load the bases. Jake Holton popped out, and Trei Cruz grounded out, scoring Workman. It looked like they might waste a big opportunity, but Chris Meyers lined a single to center field to plate Mendoza and Lee, making it 3-0 Erie.

Burhenn allowed a solo shot and a lot of hard contact in the first, but he settled in nicely, allowing just an unearned run in the fourth when Dylan Crews singled and stole second. Eliezer Alfonzo’s throw to second was wild, allowing Crews to take third. A sacrifice fly scored Crews to make it 3-2 Erie.

Burhenn pitched through the fifth, and Petit took over for two shutout innings. Jake Holton pulled a three-run shot to left in the top of the seventh to make Petit’s task easier, and he closed things out without issue.

Cruz: 2-4, RBI, 2B

Holton: 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, K

Burhenn (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, 2 R, ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K

Offense was at a premium in Game 2. Lefty Adam Wolf and right-hander Angel Reyes each spun three innings of one-hit, shutout ball to smother the Senators.

Wolf got into trouble in the second, but with two outs, Christian Molfetta gunned down Dermis Garcia trying to steal second to end a threat. Molfetta was clearly inspired by this, and launched a three-run shot with Stephen Scott and Austin Murr aboard in the bottom half of the inning. Following that blast, Gage Workman reached on an error, stole second, and took third on a throwing error from Harrisburg’s catcher. A Hao-Yu Lee single later scored him to make it 4-0.

The SeaWolves drew six walks and had six hits, but missed out on plenty of chances the rest of the way. The pitching was good enough to make it a moot point.

Lee: 2-2, RBI, 3B, 2 BB

Holton: 1-2, BB

Molfetta: 1-3, R, 3 RBI, HR, K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves have now won nine of their last 11, and the doubleheader sweep ties up the series in Harrisburg at two games apiece. Friday night’s matchup is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.

West Michigan Whitecaps 5, Peoria Chiefs 3 (box)

The Whitecaps took a 2-1 series lead over Peoria on Thursday. Carlos Marcano’s sinker was working in this one as he spun five innings of two-run ball, with only one of those runs earned.

The Chiefs struck first in the bottom of the third. A Peyton Graham error allowed the leadoff man to reach, and Marcano allowed a double that make it 1-0 Peoria. The Whitecaps came right back as Seth Stephenson led off the fourth with a triple and scored on a Max Anderson ground out. However, Marcano allowed another run in the bottom half, and Connor Holden allowed a solo shot in the seventh that made it 3-1 Peoria.

Finally, after squandering a couple of chances, including a Luke Gold triple to lead off the seventh, the Whitecaps finally got the offense going in the eighth. Graham led off with a walk and Danny Serretti singled. Dom Johnson flew out, but Stephenson dropped down a bunt toward third and beat it out, loading the bases. Anderson and Gold walked back-to-back to force in two runs and tie the game 3-3.

The big hit never came, as Peoria went back to their pen and Nathanael Heredia struck out Roberto Campos and Izaac Pacheco, but the Whitecaps weren’t done. In the top of the ninth, Bennett Lee led off with a walk and Graham reached on an error. Serretti struck out, but Johnson singled to load the bases for Stephenson. The speedy leadoff man lined a two-run single to left to make it 5-3. Cleiverth Perez spun perfect innings in the eighth and ninth, with four strikeouts, to earn the victory.

Stephenson: 3-5, R, 2 RBI, 3B, K, SB

Serretti: 2-4, R, K

Gold: 1-4, RBI, 2B, BB, K

Marcano: 5.0 IP, 2 R, ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 4 K

Lakeland Flying Tigers 3, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels 2 (box)

After winning 16-1 on Wednesday, the Flying Tigers eeked out a much tighter game on Thursday to run their record to 24-12.

The Flying Tigers opened the scoring in the second when Jose De La Cruz led off with a double. The next two hitters struck out, but Jim Jarvis came through with an RBI single.

Hayden Minton put together a good outing, spinning five innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts to one walk. He allowed those two runs in the fifth, giving up the slim 1-0 lead they’d held, but the offense picked him up.

Jarvis led off the bottom half of the fifth with a single and stole second base. David Smith struck out, but Max Clark reached on an error to get Jarvis to third. A Clayton Campbell sacrifice fly tied the game.

Cam Brown and Garrett Hill combined for three innings of relief with seven strikeouts to just one hit allowed. Donye Evans took over in the top of the ninth for a little high pressure test, and while he got a little wild and walked two, he was able to keep the game knotted at 2-2.

In the bottom of the ninth, Daneurys De La Cruz and Jarvis led off with singles, and Smith was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A passed ball allowed De La Cruz to scamper home with the game winner.

Jarvis: 3-3, R, RBI, 2 SB

Jose De La Cruz: 1-4, R, 2B, 2 K

Minton: 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: The Flygers have a 2-1 series lead heading into Friday night’s 6:30 p.m. ET start.