Hens stop 1st-place Columbus

7/8/2011

COLUMBUS — The Toledo Mud Hens scored six runs in the top of the sixth inning to defeat the Columbus Clippers 8-6 Friday night.

The Hens, who were down 4-1 after five innings, rode the tidal wave of runs to put the Clippers away.

Clete Thomas went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in the sixth that put the Mud Hens up for good.

Brayan Villarreal (1-5) recorded his first win of the season after going six innings and allowed four runs.

The Mud Hens (37-53) took a 1-0 lead in the first after a Timo Perez sacrifice fly plated Will Rhymes. The Clippers (58-31) knotted the game at 1-1 in the home half of the first when Max St-Pierre threw to second base to successfully pick off Jason Donald. However, Ezequiel Carrera, who was on third, darted home on the throw by St-Pierre to score for Columbus.

The Clippers added two runs in the second on a sac fly and RBI single. The Mud Hens fell behind 4-1 in the bottom of the third after allowing a solo home run to Jason Donald.

The Hens strung together quite a sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead.

The scoring began when rehabbing Detroit Tiger Carlos Guillen earned a bases loaded walk. The next batter, Ryan Strieby, singled in Perez and Rhymes to tie the game at 4-4. Danny Worth grounded into a double play but Guillen still scored to give the Hens the lead. Thomas closed the scoring for the sixth with a bang, adding a two-run homer to extend the Hens’ lead.

The Hens gave up a solo homer to Columbus in the seventh and a bases loaded walk in the eighth but still held a slim one run lead at 7-6.

Rhymes and Perez each had three hits in the contest while Perez, Strieby, and Thomas each recorded two RBI.