Jace Jung's multi-homer game helps Mud Hens cruise past Storm Chasers

PAPILLION, Neb. — The Toledo Mud Hens’ offense exploded with six home runs, scoring 12 runs on 12 hits in a 12-6 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Friday night.

Having dropped the first three games of the six-game set, the Mud Hens’ victory puts them at 42-48 on the season.

Toledo scored runs in each of the first six innings to lead Omaha 10-3 through the sixth.

Jace Jung’s two-run home run made it 2-0 Toledo in the top of the first inning. In his next at-bat in the third, he added a solo shot and finished the game 2 for 5 with three runs batted in and two runs scored.

A pair of hit by pitches delivered by Mud Hens starter Brant Hurter came around to score for Omaha (57-32) in the bottom half of the first inning. In all, the Storm Chasers scored three runs in the inning, taking a 3-2 lead, thanks to a Drew Waters RBI double and Brian O’Keefe’s two-run single.

For Toledo in the top of the second, Bligh Madris’s leadoff walk and Stephen Scott’s one-out single set up Andrew Navigato with an opportunity, and his two-out double brought home both Madris and Scott for a 4-3 Hens advantage.

Jung’s second homer in the third plus Drew Maggi’s solo shot in the fourth gave the Hens a 6-3 lead.

The Hens added two more in the fifth, starting with Dillon Dingler’s solo homer. Justice Bigbie followed with a base hit, advanced to third on a Madris double, and later scored on Scott’s groundball.

Then in the sixth, a pair of wild pitches by Omaha’s Noah Murdock allowed Navigato and Spencer Torkelson to score on separate plays, putting the Hens ahead at 10-3. After Omaha pushed a run across in the home half of the seventh, Toledo extended its lead at 12-4 in the ninth on homers by Ryan Kreidler and Navigato.

The Storm Chasers mirrored the Hens in their half of the ninth, closing the scoring on solo home runs from Kevin Padlo and Cam Devanney off Toledo reliever Devin Sweet.

Omaha’s Chandler Champlain (1-3) suffered the loss on the mound, allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits over four innings of work. Andrew Vasquez (5-2) got the win for the Hens, pitching 2⅓ innings in relief of Hurter.

Toledo faces Omaha in the fifth game of the series at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. Bryan Sammons (5-4) will make the start for the Mud Hens, while Anthony Veneziano (3-2) will start for the Storm Chasers.