Big innings aid Mud Hens in 9-4 win over Louisville Bats

After dropping the previous five games, the Toledo Mud Hens are on a mini hot streak as they notched a second straight win over the Louisville Bats, earning a 9-4 victory at Fifth Third Field on Wednesday.

Trailing 1-0 following a home run by Louisville’s Hernan Perez in the top of the third inning, Toledo pushed four runs across in the bottom half. Justice Bigbie led off and reached by error, then consecutive doubles from Stephen Scott and Andrew Navigato, the latter of which brought home a pair of runs for a 2-1 Mud Hens lead.

Akil Baddoo followed with an RBI double and later Jace Jung made it 4-1 with a run-scoring single.

Toledo (44-53) tacked on three more runs in the home half of the fifth, increasing its lead to six runs. Louisville (49-47) went down in order in the top of the fifth.

After Spencer Torkelson singled and Jung reached by walk, Dillon Dingler’s RBI double pushed the margin to 5-1. A little later, Ryan Kreidler smacked a two-out two-run double to right field that made it 7-1.

The Bats scored three runs and the Hens two in the seventh inning, and that was it for scoring in the game.

Louisville did their damage off Hens’ relievers Andrew Magno and Devin Sweet, following starter Bryan Sammons who exited after five innings. Sammons (6-5) did secure the win as he allowed just one run on three hits with two strikeouts in his five innings.

Jacob Hurtubise got the Bats back on the board with an RBI single that plated Edwin Rios. Two batters later with the bases loaded, Blake Dunn smacked a two-run single to get Louisville within 7-4.

However, Dingler belted his 16th homer of the season in the bottom of the seventh, a two-run shot that put it out of reach. Dingler finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored and three RBIs.

Toledo and Louisville will meet for the third game of the series at 7:05 p.m. Thursday at Fifth Third Field. Lael Lockhart (0-3) will start for the Hens, and Justus Sheffield (0-2) goes for the Bats.