In the club’s annual “home” game at Burleigh Grimes Field in Trenton, the MINK League’s Chillicothe Mudcats battled the archrival St. Joseph Mustangs on Wednesday night, with the “Fish” going 2-0 on the season against St. Joe, winning 5-4.
The game started with two scoreless innings from both teams, but St. Joseph managed to take a 1-0 lead in the third inning with a sacrifice fly. In the fifth inning, the Mustangs extended their lead to 4-0 with three runs scored through clutch hitting. However, the Mudcats fought back and managed to cut the deficit to two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, thanks to an RBI groundout by Peyton Becker and an RBI single by Noah Hata.
The Mudcats’ bullpen took over from starting pitcher, Layne Rutherford, with Koby Linder throwing two scoreless innings. In the seventh inning, Chillicothe further closed the gap, making it 4-3. Then, in the eighth inning, the Mudcats staged a comeback. Noah Hata led off with a base hit, Tanner Sears drew a walk, and Elian Guzman executed a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Luca Boscarino tied the game with an RBI single, and Sammy Cruz followed with a sacrifice fly, giving Chillicothe a 5-4 lead.
In the ninth inning, the Mustangs had their last chance to score, but the Mudcats’ pitcher, Karter Muck, closed the door. He struck out two batters, allowed two baserunners, and ultimately induced a groundout to third to secure the 5-4 victory for Chillicothe.
Looking ahead, the next game for the Chillicothe Mudcats is against Sedalia at Shaffer Park / Haney Field on Friday night. The game is scheduled to start at 7:05 PM and will be Hawaiian Night at the ballpark.
Other MINK League scores from Wednesday, June 21, 2023:
Joplin 3, Des Moines 2
Clarinda 2, Carroll 1 (7th straight win for Clarinda)
Sedalia 13, Nevada 3
MINK League games for Thursday, June 22, 2023:
Joplin at Carroll – 6:30 PM
Ban Johnson Raiders at St. Joseph – 7:00 PM
Jefferson City at Nevada – 7:00 PM
Clarinda at Des Moines – 7:00 PM
