Navigato features in doubleheader loss to Omaha

TOLEDO – The Toledo Mud Hens were swept by the Omaha Storm Chasers in a doubleheader on Friday night at Fifth Third Field.

GAME ONE:

In game one,

Brant Hurter toed the rubber for the Mud Hens while Kris Bubic got the ball for the Storm Chasers on rehab assignment.

Omaha came out firing, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. A pair of singles by Nate Eaton and CJ Alexander set up the inning for the Chasers. Eaton scrambled home on a wild pitch and Brian O’Keefe doubled home Alexander to give the Storm Chasers a 2-0 lead. A walk to former Mud Hen Josh Lester ended the night for Hurter before finishing the opening half-inning. Bryce Tassin entered, retiring Cam Devanney to end the inning. Hurter finished with two runs allowed on three hits, one walk and two strikeouts.

The Mud Hens struck back with a couple runs of their own as Andrew Navigato singled home Bligh Madris and Justice Bigbie to even the score at 2-2.

Tassin scratched and clawed his way through 3.1 innings to get the Mud Hens through the fourth inning. Tassin finished allowing three hits and one strikeout.

On the flip side, Bubic fought through 4.0 innings for the Storm Chasers, allowing two runs on four hits, three walks and three strikeouts.

Devin Sweet pitched 2.0 dominant innings of relief, striking out five of the seven batters he faced while allowing just a leadoff double to Eaton in the fifth inning.

Noah Murdock matched Sweet for the Storm Chasers, pitching 2.0 hitless innings, walking one and striking out one batter.

Alex Lange entered to pitch the seventh inning for the Mud Hens. After allowing a leadoff double to Austin Nola, Lange struck out John Rave with a knuckle curve but left shortly after with an apparent injury. Brenan Hanifee entered to replace Lange.

A single and a stolen base by Eaton set up the Storm Chasers’ offense for the heart of their order. After striking out Alexander, Devin Mann singled home both Nola and Eaton before O’Keefe doubled home Mann to give Omaha a 5-2 lead. Hanifee struck out Lester to end the top of the seventh inning.

Carlos Hernandez entered to nail down the save for Omaha. Meadows roped a two-out double into the corner, but was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a two-out single by Spencer Torkelson.

That wrapped the first half of the twin bill with the Mud Hens falling to the Storm Chasers 5-2.

Murdock took the win, his first of the season while Lange took his first loss, falling to 1-1 on the season. Hernandez added his fourth save of the season.

NOTABLES:

• Andrew Navigato (1-3, 2 RBI)
• Spencer Torkelson (2-4, 2B)
• Devin Sweet (2.0 IP, H, 5 K)

GAME TWO:

Bryan Sammons took the mound for the Mud Hens in the nightcap while Jonathan Bowlan threw for the Storm Chasers.

A trio of quiet innings saw just a single by Riley Unroe surrendered between the two arms.

Omaha got on the board first in the top of the fourth inning when John Rave clubbed a leadoff solo home run.

Back-to-back one-out singles in the fifth inning by Justice Bigbie and Riley Unroe set up Andrew Navigato for a go-ahead two-run double to put the Hens ahead 2-1. The end of the fifth marked the end of the line for Bowlan, pitching 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in the no-decision.

Sammons dipped, dashed and dodged his way through multiple bases loaded situations, allowing minimal damage as Rave scored on an RBI single by Devin Mann.

That ended Sammons’ night with a no-decision after pitching 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on five hits (one home run), two walks and three strikeouts.

Andrew Magno pitched a perfect seventh inning to send the game into walk-off territory for the Mud Hens.

Steven Cruz pitched a stellar 1.2 innings of relief for the Chasers. After striking out two in the sixth inning, Bigbie roped a leadoff single. After Bigbie was doubled up on a flyout, Navigato tapped a two-out single to chase Cruz from the game in favor of Evan Sisk with the lefty Meadows coming up. Sisk induced a groundout to send the game to extra innings.

Cam Devanney began the inning at second base for Omaha. Devanney moved over to third on a wild pitch. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Nate Eaton and CJ Alexander put the Storm Chasers ahead 4-2. Another RBI double by Brian O’Keefe and an RBI single by Josh Lester moved the Omaha lead to 6-2.

Will Klein entered to shut the door for the Storm Chasers. After a flyout by Spencer Torkelson, back-to-back walks by Jace Jung and Dillon Dingler brought the tying run to the plate. Klein struck out Vilade and induced a game-ending flyout by Bligh Madris to preserve a 6-2 Storm Chasers win.

Sisk took his fifth win, moving to 5-0, while Magno took the loss, falling to 1-4.

NOTABLES:

• Andrew Navigato: 2-3, 2 RBI, 2B)
• Riley Unroe (2-3, R)
• Justice Bigbie (2-3, R)
• Bryan Sammons (6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, HR, 2 BB, 3 K)

What’s Next:

The Toledo Mud Hens will remain at home for game five of the six game series against the Omaha Storm Chasers at Fifth Third Field tomorrow, June 15, 2024, with first pitch coming at 7:05 p.m.