In a true pitcher’s duel on Monday night in Sedalia, the Chillicothe Mudcats emerged victorious against the Bombers, as Bailey Quint for Chillicothe and Antonio Escano of Sedalia battled one another for the majority of the hotly contested MINK League contest.
The scoring began early with an RBI single by Catcher Luca Boscarino, giving the Mudcats a 1-0 lead. The Bombers responded with a run in the first inning, leveling the score at 1-1. From there, offense remained relatively quiet. Both teams had opportunities with runners in scoring position, but failed to capitalize. Escano completed six innings, recording seven strikeouts and allowing only one run, while Quint replicated his performance with six innings, six strikeouts, and one run allowed.
Heading into the seventh inning, Chillicothe’s top half was scoreless, and the Bombers faced a fresh pitcher in RHP Josiah Golden. Making his debut as a Mudcat, Golden impressed by striking out the last two batters of the inning, maintaining the tie at 1-1.
In the eighth inning, the Mudcats’ offense came alive, scoring three runs to take a 4-1 lead. First Baseman Elian Guzman drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, followed by Noah Hata stealing home on a double steal. Third Baseman Zack Thompson sealed the inning with an RBI single. Although the Bombers added two runs in the bottom of the eighth, the Mudcats held on to a 4-3 lead.
With a scoreless ninth inning for the Mudcats’ offense, RHP Koby Linder entered the game to secure the save. It was a challenging inning as he walked the first batter, gave up a single, and hit the third batter, loading the bases with no outs. However, Sedalia’s groundout at the plate and Linder’s crucial strikeout left two outs on the board. Linder then forced the final batter to ground out, securing the victory and earning the save.
This win marks Chillicothe’s second consecutive three-game winning streak this season, bringing their overall record to 12-14. With a day off on Tuesday, they will look to continue their winning streak against the Des Moines Peak Prospects in Indianola on Wednesday night. The game is set to start at 7:00 PM, with RHP Jaydon Cabezudo taking the mound.
The MINK League scoreboard for Monday, June 26, 2023:
Clarinda 9, Jefferson City 5
Des Moines 5, Carroll 4 (13)
Nevada 6, Joplin 3
The MINK League schedule for Tuesday, June 27, 2023:
St. Joseph at Des Moines – 7:00 PM
Clarinda at Sedalia – 7:00 PM
Joplin at Nevada – 7:00 PM
