LOUISVILLE, Ken. – The Toledo Mud Hens fell to the Louisville Bats 6-5 at Louisville Slugger Field on Thursday night.

The pitching matchup consisted of Joey Wentz for the Mud Hens and Christian Roa for the Bats.

Roa made quick work of the Mud Hens to begin the ballgame. Justyn-Henry Malloy and Colt Keith would each popout, followed by a Tyler Nevin lineout to end the inning.

Alejo Lopez would club a leadoff double to begin the game, but would be thrown out at third stretching for a triple. Trey Mancini would smack the second pitch he’d see as a Bat for a solo home run to put the Bats up 1-0. Wentz would settle in, getting Jose Barrero to flyout and Jason Vosler to strikeout looking, ending the inning.

Roa would nearly double his pitch count while striking out Isan Diaz after a ten-pitch at-bat to begin the second inning. Eddys Leonard would put the Mud Hens in the hit column with a one-out single. Ryan Kreidler would strikeout for the second out. Michael Papierski drew a two-out walk, but a Dillon Dingler strikeout would end the inning.

Wentz would need just eight pitches to retire the Bats in order in the third inning. Jhonny Pereda would lineout, Drew Mount would strikeout and Eric Yang would flyout to end the inning.

Nick Solak would draw a leadoff walk to get the Mud Hens rolling in the third inning. Roa would get Malloy to popout for the first out. Keith would smack a game-tying RBI double, tying the game at 1-1. Nevin and Diaz would draw back-to-back walks to load the bases. Leonard would hit a sacrifice fly to put the Mud Hens up 2-1, but Kreidler would lineout to end the inning.

Wentz would get two quick outs to begin the third inning, getting Miguel Hernandez to groundout and Jacob Hurtubise to lineout. Lopez would draw a two-out walk and would come around to score on Mancini’s game-tying RBI double, knotting it at 2-2. Wentz would then get Barrero to flyout to end the inning.

Roa would make quick work of the Mud Hens in the fourth inning. A strikeout by Papierski and flyouts from Dingler and Solak got Roa through the inning with 12 pitches.

The Bats went right back to work against Wentz in the fourth inning. Volser would hit a leadoff single, and then Pereda would club a go-ahead two-run home run, making it 4-2 Bats. Wentz would then retire the next three, striking out Mount, getting Yang to groundout and striking out Hernandez to end the inning.

Roa would retire the Mud Hens in order again in the fifth inning. Malloy would flyout to begin the inning, followed by strikeouts of both Keith and Nevin to end Roa’s outing. Roa would be done after pitching 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on two hits, four walks and six strikeouts.

Wentz would return to pitch the fifth inning for the Mud Hens. Hurtubise would draw a leadoff walk to try to keep the Bats’ offense rolling. Wentz got Lopez to popout, picked off Hurtubise and then struck out Mancini to escape the inning and finish on a strong note. Wentz would leave after pitching 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on five hits (two home runs), two walks and five strikeouts.

Tejay Antone would enter to pitch the sixth inning for the Bats. Antone would get Diaz to groundout for the first out. Leonard would pick up his second hit of the game, this time a double. Kreidler would strikeout for the second out. Papierski would draw a two-out walk to put two on and two out for Dingler. Antone would get Dingler to groundout to end the inning. That would close the book on Antone after pitching 1.0 inning, allowing one hit and one walk with one strikeout. Antone would claim his third hold of the season.

Brenan Hanifee would enter to pitch the sixth inning for the Mud Hens. Barrero would club a leadoff double, followed by a walk by Vosler to give the Bats a scoring opportunity. Pereda grounded into a double play, moving Barrero to third base and getting Hanifee the first two outs. Hanifee would strikeout Mount looking to end the inning and escape the jam.

Tony Santillan would enter to pitch the seventh inning for the Bats. Santillan needed just nine pitches to retire the Mud Hens in order in the seventh inning. Santillan would strikeout Solak, get Malloy to popout and get Keith to groundout to end the inning. That would end the night for Santillan, pitching 1.0 inning and striking out one batter. That would net Santillan a hold, his first of the season.

Hanifee would return to pitch the seventh inning for the Mud Hens. Hanifee would get Yang to flyout after an 11 pitch at-bat to begin the inning. Hanifee would need just five pitches to get both Hernandez and Hurtubise to groundout to end the inning.

Silvino Bracho would enter to pitch the eighth inning for the Bats. Bracho would get Nevin to flyout for the first out. Diaz would single and Leonard would walk to give the Mud Hens a scoring opportunity. They would take advantage as Kreidler would hit a RBI double, followed by a two-run single by Papierski to put the Mud Hens up 5-4. Bracho would get Dingler to popout and Solak to groundout to end the inning. That would close the book on Bracho’s night after 1.0 inning, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk. Bracho would collect the win and a blown save, improving to a 3-2 record and three blown saves on the season.

Hanifee would remain on the mound for the eighth inning for the Mud Hens. Hanifee would get Lopez to groundout for the first out. Mancini would club a solo home run, his second of the game to tie the game at 5-5. Hanifee would get Barrero to groundout for the second out. The inning would then unravel. Walks by Vosler and Pereda followed by the hit-by-pitch of Mount loaded the bases with two outs. Yang would then reach on a go-ahead RBI infield single, putting the Bats up 6-5. That would chase Hanifee from the game and bring Miguel Diaz in to finish out the ballgame. Diaz would strikeout Hernandez to escape the jam, but the damage had been done. Hanifee would finish with the loss after 2.2 innings pitched, allowing two runs on three hits (one home run), three walks and one strikeout. Hanifee is now 2-7 on the season. Diaz would finish with 0.1 inning pitched, striking out the lone batter he faced.

Daniel Duarte would enter to close it out for the Bats. Malloy would get hit by a pitch to begin the inning, putting the tying run on the bases for the Hens. Keith would popout for the first out. Nevin would then ground into a game-ending double play, sealing the 6-5 win for the Louisville Bats. Duarte would collect his seventh save after pitching 1.0 inning.

NOTABLES:

• Colt Keith: 1-5, RBI, 2B, R, K
• Ryan Kreidler: 1-4, RBI, 2B, R, 2 K
• Eddys Leonard: 2-2, RBI, 2B, R, BB
• Michael Papierski: 1-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
• Joey Wentz: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 2 BB, 5 K

The Mud Hens will remain in Louisville for game four of the six-game series at Louisville Slugger Field on Friday August 25^th with first pitch coming at 7:05 pm ET.