Toledo Mud Hens get 2-1 home win over Louisville

4/12/2013

On the strength of a strong pitching start from left-hander Duane Below, the Mud Hens ended a four-game losing streak tonight by hanging on for a 2-1 International League baseball victory over the Louisville Bats before an announced crowd of 4,209 at Fifth Third Field.

Below (1-0), the Britton, Michigan native, allowed just two hits and one earned run over 6 1/3 innings in his second start of the season. He threw 56 of his 82 pitches for strikes, and walked none before being relieved by Jose Ortega in the seventh.

The Hens (2-7) got their only two runs in the third inning. Catcher Bryan Holaday hit a solo home run over the left field wall, and center fielder Quintin Berry plated Argenis Diaz with a two-out single to center off Bats starter Pedro Villarreal.

Louisville (5-4) got its only run in the seventh inning after Below departed. Neftali Soto greeted Ortega with an RBI double up the gap in right-center.

Below opened the game by retiring the first 14 batters he faced before Louisville's Felix Perez singled to center.

Hens closer Bruce Rondon was welcomed in the ninth inning by Billy Hamilton's bunt single, but retired the final three batters to record his first save.