Hens drop 1st game to Gwinnett, win 2nd

5/15/2012

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. ­— After dropping the first game in a doubleheader against the Gwinnett Braves, the Toledo Mud Hens bounced back to win the second game.

The Mud Hens fell 3-2 in game 1 in eight innings, but earned the split with a 7-4 win in the nightcap.

With the scored tied at 4 in the sixth inning of game 2, Ryan Strieby led off with a single, reached second on Eric Patterson's walk, and then scored to break the tie when Audy Ciriaco reached on a failed force attempt by Gwinnett catcher Josh Wilson to first. Patterson added another run on Jeff Frazier's ground out to third.

In the seventh, the Hens added an extra insurance run when Matt Young walked and then scored after Justin Henry reached on pitcher Dusty Hughes' fielding error.

In the third, Toledo seemed to break the game wide-open with a four-run inning. Young, Bryan Holaday, Quintin Berry, and Henry all scored to give Toledo a 4-0 lead.

But Toledo gave away nearly its entire lead in the bottom of the inning.

Gwinnett loaded the bases with two outs for Ernesto Mejia, who singled to center field, scoring Greg Paiml and Luis Durango.

Drew Sutton followed that with a double to right field, scoring Stefan Gartrell.

The Braves tied it in the fifth when Durango scored on a wild pitch by Hens starter Casey Crosby, who earned the win despite giving up four runs in six innings to go with his nine strikeouts.

Toledo manager Phil Nevin was ejected shortly after the wild pitch for arguing the call with umpire David Rackley.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Mud Hens and Gwinnett Braves went long before Toledo fell.

Mejia led off the eighth with a double off Hens reliever Jose Ortega and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jose Yepez.

Toledo starter Jacob Turner did not get a decision after throwing 51/3 innings and recording four strikeouts to go with four hits, two runs, and two walks.

Cory Gearrin earned the win for Gwinnett with two scoreless innings in relief.