Steven Moya homers again in Toledo Mud Hens loss

Louisville Bats 10, Toledo Mud Hens 2 (box)

The Mud Hens dropped the rubber match of a three-game road series in front of 4,782 fans at Louisville Slugger Field on Wednesday night. Righthander Derek Hankins made his first start at Triple-A this season for the depleted Mud Hens rotation and had a tough go of it, managing just three innings during an 86 pitch outing. Hankins surrendered eight runs, seven of them earned, with a throwing error by Steven Moya contributing the sole unearned run. Jose Valdez did no better, walking the bases loaded in the fourth inning and eventually giving up a pair of runs in the process to end the Bats' scoring for the evening. Steven Moya contributed the Mud Hens offense, driving in a pair of runs on an opposite field home run in the sixth inning. Ian Krol pitched a scoreless seventh inning, while first baseman Jordan Lennerton came on to save the bullpen and threw a clean frame in the eighth including a strikeout.

Moya: 1-4, HR, R, 2 RBI
Fields: 0-4, SO
Hankins (L): 3.0 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO
Valdez: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, SO
Krol: 1.0 IP, SO
Lennerton: 1.0 IP, SO

COMING UP NEXT: The Mudhen travel to Indianapolis, IN to kick off a four-game weekend series with the Indians at Victory Field. With previously scheduled starter Kyle Ryan called up to pitch for the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, no starters have yet been announced for Thursday's game. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm ET.

Erie SeaWolves 6, Bowie Baysox 3 (box)

Austin Kubitza (2-4, 5.05 ERA) put together a solid outing to earn his second win of the year. Kubitza got into trouble in the second inning, allowing a pair of runs, but rebounded to throw four more strong innings. He ultimately struck out eight Baysox without allowing a walk before departing after allowing another run to start the seventh inning. The SeaWolves offense had their way with Baltimore Orioles starter Bud Norris who was pitching on a rehab assignment for the Baysox. Norris was tagged for four earned runs over five innings, though he struck out seven in the process. Dean Green hit a solo shot for the SeaWolves, while James Robbins powered their offense with a three-hit game, driving in two on the day. Catcher Drew Longley also doubled and drove in a pair. SeaWolves closer Jeff Farrell (5 S, 1.65 ERA) continued his dominance racking up his fifth save of the young season with an easy 1-2-3 inning including a pair of strikeouts.

Bernard: 1-5, H, RBI, SO
Longley: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 SO
Robbins: 3-3, H, R, 2 RBI
Green: 1-3, HR, RBI, R, BB, SO
Kubitza (W): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 8 SO
Farrell: 1.0 IP, S, 2 SO

COMING UP NEXT: The deciding game of this three-game set will see SeaWolves starter Josh Turley (4-2, 2.89 ERA) take on Bowie's Terry Doyle (2-1, 4.10 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm ET from Prince George's Stadium in Bowie, MD.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 4, St. Lucie Mets 1 (box)

Second baseman Javier Betancourt paced the Flying Tigers with a pair of hits, a run and an RBI single, while Ben Verlander drove in a pair of his own as Lakeland took down the Mets on Wednesday. Starter Matt Crouse (1-1, 0.87 ERA) pitched five strong innings, allowing one earned on five hits with a strikeout. The Flying Tigers jumped out in front with a four-run first inning on a parade of singles, and that's was all they needed as the pitching staff shut down the Mets. Closer Paul Voelker (4-0, 5 S, 1.88 ERA) allowed a single and no more, collecting his third save of the season for the Flying Tigers.

Betancourt: 2-4, R, RBI
Verlander: 1-3, 2 RBI, BB, SO
Ficociello: 1-4, R, SO
Crouse (W): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, SO
Voelker: 1.0 IP, H, SO

COMING UP NEXT: The Flying Tigers will take on the Mets again on Thursday at Tradition Field in St. Lucie, FL. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm ET for the third of a four-game set. The Flying Tigers will send Locke St. John (2-2, 3.50 ERA) to the mound to face the Mets' Rob Whalen (2-2, 2.38 ERA).

West Michigan Whitcaps 4, Lake Country Captains 3 (box)

The Whitecaps' offense was powered by multi-hit games from Ross Kivett, Joey Pankake and Austin Schotts, who homered for the second day in a row, as they took down the Captains in a marathon on Wednesday. Starter Trent Szkutnik (3-0, 3.42 ERA) pitched well, going seven innings and giving up two runs. Lake Country knotted the game at three runs apiece in the eighth. In the 12th inning, Kivett doubled, advanced to third on a ground-out and then scored the game winning run on a wild pitch. Joe Jimenez (3-1, 3 S, 2.51 ERA) pitched a pair of no-hit innings in the eleventh and twelfth, allowing just a walk against three strikeouts to collect his third win of the year for the Whitecaps.

Pankake: 2-4, R, 2 BB
Schotts: 2-4, HR, R, RBI, SO
Kivett: 3-6, 2B, 2 R
Hill: 1-6, 2B
Szkutnik: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 SO, BB
Jimenez (W): 2.0 IP, 3 SO, BB

COMING UP NEXT: The Whitecaps will look to sweep this three-game road series against Lake Country Thursday at 6:30pm ET from Classic Park in Eastlake, OH. The Whitecaps send Fernando Perez (0-5, 3.89 ERA) to the mound to face Anderson Polanco (2-5, 3.80).

★★★

Paul Voelker, the Detroit Tigers' 10th round selection in the 2014 draft out of Dallas Baptist, now has a combined 1.88 ERA with 32 strikeouts over 24 innings at West Michigan and Lakeland and is perfect in save opportunities.

After an injury plagued start to his 2015 campaign, Tigers' prospect Steven Moya is heating up in Toledo. Moya has 3 home runs in his last five games and has raised his OPS to .751. He has seven home runs and 11 doubles on the season.