Mud Hens crush Bats 14-4 in a roaring home opener

The Mud Hens dominated the Bats 14-4 in the first game of their series at Fifth Third Field tonight.

Kicking off their nine-game home stand, the Mud Hens were determined to make a strong start, buoyed by a lively crowd, including plenty of puppies cheering them on. Parker Meadows led off with a single to center field and quickly stole second base. Spencer Torkelson followed with a line drive to right field for a single, moving Meadows to third. Dillon Dingler then hit a pop fly single perfectly into the gap, allowing Meadows to score. Ryan Vilade drew a walk, loading the bases. Eddys Leonard stepped up and was forced out, but not before Torkelson crossed home plate, increasing the lead. Leonard, injured on the play, was replaced by Riley Unroe, who promptly singled on a grounder, bringing Dingler home. A strikeout ended the inning, but the Mud Hens' defense responded with a swift 1-2-3 inning.

In the bottom of the second, the Mud Hens continued to heat up. Andrew Navigato walked, and Meadows smashed a double just shy of the fence, sending Navigato sprinting home. Torkelson then delivered a powerful home run near the barking dogs, adding two more runs. The Mud Hens were up by six, and the Bats still hadn't scored.

Brant Hurter took over pitching duties from Sean Guenther, orchestrating an easy double play on a grounder and finishing the inning with a strikeout. The Mud Hens had a quick third inning, but their defense shined in the top of the fourth, with a 1-2-3 inning led by Alvaro Gonzalez's stellar plays at third base, consistently throwing runners out at first with Torkelson's assistance.

The fifth inning followed the pattern of the previous innings. Unroe hit a home run to center field, his second of the season, increasing the lead by seven. Justice Bigbie singled on a grounder to left field, and Navigato also managed a single on a pop fly to right field. A mound visit and pitching change by the Bats couldn't stem the tide. Meadows got a base hit on a pop fly to right, loading the bases for Torkelson. He then hit his second home run of the game, a grand slam over the left-field fence near the cars, driving in four more runs, while the Bats remained scoreless.

Hurter continued to deliver on the mound, with the defense holding firm. In the bottom of the seventh, Navigato walked, and Torkelson followed suit. Dingler then singled on a grounder to left field, loading the bases once more. Bligh Madris hit a sharp fly that almost cleared the fence, scoring Navigato. Vilade added to the tally with a single, bringing Torkelson home. Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, allowing Dingler to score, further increasing the lead to fourteen.

In the top of the ninth, Hurter got a break as Bryce Tassin took the mound. The Bats managed two home runs, but it was too little, too late to catch up to the Mud Hens.

The Mud Hens will look for another win against the Bats in an afternoon game tomorrow, with the first pitch at 12:05 PM. Join us for game two of the series at Fifth Third Field!

Notables:

Torkelson (3-4, 6RBI, 2HR)

Meadows (3-6, 1RBI)

Unroe (2-4, 2RBI, HR)