Hens' Offense Comes Alive in 9-8 Victory

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IL Toledo Mud Hens

Hens' Offense Comes Alive in 9-8 Victory

June 17, 2025 - International League (IL)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - The Toledo Mud Hens won 9-8 in an extra-innings back-and-forth battle with the St. Paul Saints Tuesday night. The Toledo offense carried the team throughout the game, while the pitching staff was exhausted with seven arms being used.

With an underwhelming week offensively against the Omaha Storm Chasers the week prior, the Mud Hens hoped to remedy the issues against the Saints. Things looked promising immediately as Hao-Yu Lee hit a lead-off homer to get the game started.

St. Paul, suffering a losing streak of their own, wasted no time in crafting a response to Lee's early success. The Saints got one aboard as Lee would be credited with a fielding error at second base. With one out, Edward Julien then took the lead with a two-run homer that soared over the head of Brewer Hicklen in right field.

With plenty of hits long overdue for Toledo, they got right back to work in the second inning. Hicklen led off with a double off the wall, before Akil Baddoo tied things up with a double of his own. He was then able to make it 3-2 as while stealing third, the catcher Mickey Gasper overthrew him, allowing Baddoo to take home as well.

Troy Melton would be tested in his second Triple-A start. A pair of singles by Anthony Prato and Aaron Sabato and a Peyton Eeles walk loaded the bases with two outs. Melton tried to escape the inning unscathed, but a nine-pitch battle with Gasper ended in a run-scoring walk.

That would bring an early end to Melton's night as the Hens turned to PJ Poulin to bring an end to the inning, tied 3-3.

Toledo got back ahead in the back-and-forth battle following an Andy Ibanez double play. Hicklen scored Jace Jung with a triple that fell inches short of leaving the yard to make it 4-3.

St. Paul, however, would strike back with a run of their own. A two-out double off the bat of Yunior Severino gave the Saints a chance to score. Prato would score Severino with a line-drive single, but was caught trying to pick up second, closing the inning tied 4-4.

Following the first scoreless fram of the game, Dylan Smith took the mound in the bottom of the fourth inning. The reliever got off to a hot start, going one, two, three with three strikeouts.

After holding the Saints scoreless for the first time all day, the Mud Hens regained and padded their lead in the fifth. Justyn-Henry Malloy and Jung both drew walks, before Hicklen took the lead with an RBI single. That hit meant he was just a home run shy of the cycle.

Defensive miscues continued to be a problem for St. Paul, as their third error of the day allowed Ryan Kreidler to get aboard and brought Jung home to make it 6-4.

Smith returned to the mound in the fifth, but after giving up a lead-off double to Gasper, Smith was replaced with Drew Sommers. Sommers got off to a shaky start as after surrendering a walk, Carson McCusker tied things 6-6 with a double to right field. St. Paul loaded the bases from there, but Sommers was able to escape without any further damage.

With neither team able to edge their way ahead in the sixth, Beau Brieske would be called upon for some relief duties. The Saints would put two runners aboard, but were unable to make anything happen.

The stalemate continued into the ninth after Ricky Vanasco held St. Paul hitless in the eighth to give his team a chance to regain the lead.

Things began to look bleak for the Hens as Hicklen and Baddoo went down in order, but that's just when Kreidler stepped up. Toledo's Tuesday-night hero absolutely torched a fastball that was hit so hard the sound silenced the crowd and echoed throughout the stadium. Kreidler's fourth home run of the season gave Toledo a 7-6 lead and a chance to end it in the bottom of the ninth.

Vanasco retook the mound to try and seal the game, but three-straight walks loaded the bases and left the Hens in a tough situation. Having already used six pitchers, Toledo stuck with their guy. The Hens would find their first out on a Will Holland grounder, but an Eeles sacrifice fly tied things back up directly after.

Tied 7-7 in extras, Toledo was able to get on the board in their half of the tenth. Lee crushed his second big hit of the day, this one being an RBI triple to make it 8-7. Ibanez tried to bring him in with a line drive up the middle of the field, but Julien made a really nice grab to end the inning.

With the game on the line and no more available arms, the Hens moved to Riley Unroe on the mound. Unroe picked up two quick outs, but an infield single by Jose Miranda tied the game 8-8 to bring it to the eleventh inning.

Toledo got on the board once again with a chance to call it the game-winning run. This one came off of a Jung RBI double, giving Toledo the 9-8 edge. This time around, Unroe would finish the job in order to earn his second win from the mound this season.

The Toledo Mud Hens and the St. Paul Saints will face off in game two of their series Tuesday at 8:05 p.m.

Notables:

Brewer Hicklen (4-6, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI, R, K)

Hao-Yu Lee (3-6, HR, 3B, 2 RBI, R, SB)

Ryan Kreidler (1-5, HR, RBI, R, BB, K)

Akil Baddoo (1-6, 2B, RBI, R, K)

Riley Unroe (W, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 0 HR)

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International League Stories from June 17, 2025


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