Hens Soar in Extras, Down Express

The Toledo Mud Hens battled through twelve innings Friday night at Dell Diamond, finally erupting for three runs in the top of the final frame to secure a 7-4 victory over the Round Rock Express in the first game of their six-game series. The marathon affair saw both teams exhaust their pitching staffs, each utilizing six arms.

Express starter Caleb Boushley looked sharp in his five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits. However, the late innings proved costly for Round Rock, with JT Chargois taking the loss. Chargois entered in the eleventh and surrendered four runs on a single hit before exiting in the twelfth. Toledo reliever Andrew Chafin earned the win, pitching a scoreless inning while allowing one run.

The Express drew first blood in the third. Alex De Goti led off with a double and later scored on a Sam Haggerty single. Haggerty then stole second and came home on a Blaine Crim single, giving Round Rock a 2-0 advantage. Crim continued his strong night in the fifth, driving in Justin Foscue, who had doubled, to extend the Express lead to 3-0.

Toledo began their comeback in the seventh. Brewer Hicklen singled and scored on a Tomas Nido double. A sacrifice bunt moved Nido to third, and Eliezer Alfonzo followed with an RBI double, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

In the ninth, with two outs, an Alfonzo single followed by a Round Rock throwing error allowed him to score after a Jack Dunn single, tying the game at 3-3 and forcing extra innings.

After trading single runs in the eleventh – Hicklen scoring on a Hensley groundout for Toledo and Trevor Hauver hitting a sacrifice fly to score Dustin Harris for Round Rock – the Mud Hens broke through in the twelfth. Alfonzo scored on another Express fielding error, and Hicklen delivered a two-run single, pushing Toledo ahead 7-4, a lead they would not relinquish.