-By Darryl Harding Sr.
A splendid spring day finds us at prestigious Polar Park where the Toledo Mud Hens travel to face the Worcester Redsox. Toledo comes in with a 11-16 record, third to last in the International West.
The Woosox, at 14-12, look to improve with right-hander Robert Stock starting on the mound. Stock had difficulty settling in and gave up a run in the first innings, due to a walk and steal by Toledos’ CF Brewer Hicklen, followed by a DH Manuel Margot RBI double.
Falling deeper into a deficit, Stock relinquished three runs in the second and sunk Worcester into a 4-0 hole. As for the Mud Hens, southpaw starter Deitrich Enns crafted an outstanding outing from the hill, registering scoreless innings through four.
Honing in and not allowing any more runs, Stock threw seventy nine pitches with six strikeouts, five hits and four earned runs. Stock was spelled by lefty Brendan Cellucci who recorded a runless inning for the Sox.
Still tossing to start the fifth, Enns finally faltered and the Woosox managed to chalk up a crooked number. Nick Eaton, Woosox center fielder, cracked a 415ft homer and C Connor Wong popped a sacrifice fly to score CF Phillip Sikes.
Closing the gap, now 4-2 Woosox brought RHP Wyatt Mills on for relief. Mills, like Cellucci, permitted no runs and the Mud Hens couldn’t increase their lead.
After throwing seventy five pitches, accumulating five Ks, Enns was replaced by RHP Ricky Vanasco, then replaced by LHP Andrew Chafin, both pitching successfully scoreless innings. Righty Tyler Owen’s followed revealing a similar outcome in the following inning.
Desperately attempting to diminishing the lead, the Woosox mindfully placed RHP Isaiah “Handlebar” Campbell on the rubber. Campbell, with one of the sweetest mustaches in the game, maneuvered skillfully through the eighth and ninth innings with no further runs added.
Right handed closer Ryan Miller sealed the deal for the Mud Hens and the Woosox unfortunately failed to produce hefty ninth inning heroics. “We sort of shot ourselves in the foot the first two [innings],” said Woosox club manager Chad Tracy, “Stock settled in by the walks killed us…lead off in the first then back to back in the second…and those are the runs that come across.”
Looking to right the ship, the Woosox continue their second game of this homestand tomorrow at 6:05 pm.