Ben Jacobs dominates for Lakeland while Beau Ankeney launches first pro homer

Toledo Mud Hens 5, St. Paul Saints 3 (box)

The Mud Hens bounced back from an extra innings loss on Wednesday to take a 2-1 lead in this best of six, their first homestand of the season.

Ty Madden got the start for the Mud Hens, and while his velocity is still way down in the low 90’s he was very effective in this one. After both teams were blanked in the first inning, Madden allowed an Orlando Arcia double, and an Eric Wagaman single scored him before Madden punched out Alex Jackson to end the inning. Still, that was all Madden would allow, as he struck out five across five innings of one-run ball.

Corey Julks evened the score with a solo shot to left in the bottom of the third. Two innings later, a Julks single of pitcher Grant Hartwig sparked a bigger rally. Cal Stevenson singled to right, and Max Burt doubled down the left field line to score Julks. Ben Malgeri walked to load the bases, and Max Clark smoked a line drive to center for a two-run double that made it 4-1. Malgeri was cut down trying to score a third run on the play, and Gage Workman grounded out to end the threat, but the Hens had all the runs they’d need on this night.

LHP Drew Sommers took over in the sixth, and he gave up one run, but Jace Jung mashed his first homer of the year in the bottom half, and it was a 410 footer to straightaway center field.

Jack Little allowed a solo shot to Alex Jackson in the seventh, but Tyler Mattison and Burch Smith shut down the Saints the rest of the way, with the latter earning the save.

Wenceel Pérez was scratched in this one, so expect him in Detroit for Parker Meadows on Friday night.

Julks: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB

Workman: 2-4, K, SB

Jung: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, BB, K

Clark: 1-4, 2 RBI, 2B

Madden (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The two clubs meet up at 7:05 p.m. ET on Friday night.

Chesapeake Baysox 2, Erie SeaWolves 1 (box)

The Baysox walked off an otherwise close, well pitched game on Thursday, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

LHP Joe Miller was very good again, as was the Baysox’s Evan Yates. Each went 4 1/3 innings, allowing one earned run while punching out five.

The SeaWolves had a chance to score in the first and missed it. Peyton Graham singled with one out and Brett Callahan reached on a throwing error, but Andrew Jenkins and E.J. Exposito struck out to end the threat.

In the top of the second, Joe Campagna walked with one out, moving to third on a Bennett Lee double. Seth Stephenson bounced a groundout to first, scoring Campagna, but that was all they’d get. 1-0 Erie.

Miller dodged a little traffic in the middle innings, but a pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases in the fifth. Aron Estrada reached on an infield single to score one run, and Miller punched out the next hitter before lefty Johan Simon took over, getting a strikeout and a flyout to escape the jam.

The SeaWolves threatened in the seventh but didn’t score. RHP Woo-Suk Go took over in the bottom half and he gave up a two-out double but punched out Ethan Anderson to keep the score 1-1. The SeaWolves just couldn’t string anything else together.

RHP Wandisson Charles took over in the bottom of the ninth, and he got the first two outs before plunking Brandon Butterworth, who then stole second base, and then scored on a walkoff single from Estrada.

Graham: 2-4, SB

Lee: 2-3, 2B

Miller: 4.1 IP, ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday.

Great Lakes Loons 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 2 (box)

Hayden Minton struggled with his command a bit, while the ‘Caps offense struggled in general on Thursday.

The right-hander gave up back-to-back doubles in the top of the first, and Logan Wagner followed with a two-run shot to make it 3-0 while people were still trying to find their seats. Minton got the next three outs in order to end the half inning with help from a great diving grab by Patrick Lee in left, but after a clean second, he got in trouble again in the third. He walked Mike Sirota with one out, and with two outs hit Jose Meza. A wind blown pop-up to right field dropped in as both runners scored and it was 5-0 without really a hard hit ball or a bunch of walks even involved.

The Whitecaps got on the board in the fifth. Cristian Santana was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Clayton Campbell doubled him to third. Junior Tilien lined out, but Patrick Lee walked to load the bases. Woody Hadeen lifted a fly ball to right deep enough for Santana to tag and score, and then Lee stole second. Sterling Patrick walked Samuel Gil to load the bases. Justin Chambers took over from Patrick and walked in a run before Roberto Campos flew out to end the inning. 5-2 Loons.

Ryan Harvey and Luke Stofel did a nice job in relief in the late innings, but the Whitecaps never mounted another threat, managing just two hits on the night.

Gil: 1-3, BB, K

Campbell: 1-4, R, 2B, K

Hurtado: 0-2, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K

Minton (L, 0-1): 3.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, BB, K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Friday night.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 10, Daytona Tortugas 2 (box)

Lefty Ben Jacobs outdid his excellent pro debut last week with a pretty spectacular outing as the Flying Tigers crushed Daytona to remain undefeated through six games.

Jacobs averaged 94 mph in this one with slightly above average induced vertical break. His good vertical attack angle and advanced fastball command helps that to play up, as the fastball and slider generated most of the swing and miss. The Tortugas had little chance as Jacobs racked up 18 whiffs and seven strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings of work. He did walk two, and had some long at-bats that stretched his pitch count up early on, but the Tortugas only managed a pair of singles against him. He’s not going to stay in Lakeland too long as an advanced college pitcher, but the Tigers’ 2025 third rounder is certainly off to a good start.

The Flying Tigers’ offense threatened in the first, and they broke through in the second when Sergio Tapia led off with a single. A one-out Anibal Salas single got Tapia to third and Jude Warwick singled him home for a 1-0 lead.

The Flying Tigers pushed across another run in the third, but it was in the sixth where they blew the Tortugas up for good. With Nelfri Payano taking over on the mound for Daytona, Salas drew a leadoff walk and Jesus Pinto singled through the right side to get Salas to third. A balk scored him, and after Warwick flew out, Jack Goodman walked and Beau Ankeney reached on an error to load the bases. Hernandez followed with a double that cleared the bases.

That made it 6-0, but they weren’t done. Nolan McCarthy drew a walk to put runners on first and second as the Tortugas went back to the bullpen. Bryce Archie took over and got Tapia to fly out, but then walked Newremberg Rondon to load the bases. A two-run double from Salas made it an 8-0 game.

Ankeney added on with a two-run shot in the fifth for his first professional home run, and the strapping first baseman looks built to hit plenty of them. 10-0 Lakeland.

Pedro Garcia took over from Jacobs, while Andrew Pogue took over for the sixth and seventh innings, racking up four strikeouts. Yendry Gomez allowed a pair of runs in the eighth to get Daytona on the board, but this one was long over by then.

Ankeney: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K

Pinto: 3-6, R, K

Hernandez: 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, BB, K

Jacobs: 3.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start in Lakeland on Friday evening.

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