In a decisive victory, the St. Joseph Mustangs dominated the Chillicothe Mudcats with a final score of 16-4 in a MINK League contest held on Friday night, at Phil Welch Stadium.
The Mustangs took an early lead in the first inning when Chillicothe’s catcher made a throwing error, allowing Nathan Maclaren to score, giving the Mudcats a 1-0 advantage. However, the Mustangs quickly retaliated with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, with Ryan Callahan advancing to second and Bobby Luikart advancing to third on a wild pitch, resulting in Noah Bodenhous crossing the plate to tie the game at 1-1. Luikart then scored on another wild pitch, putting the Mustangs in the lead at 2-1.
St. Joseph continued their offensive onslaught in the second inning, scoring four runs and extending their lead to 6-2. The Mudcats fought back in the fourth, with Peyton Becker hitting a double to right field, driving in Sammy Cruz, reducing the deficit to 6-3. Maclaren followed suit with a double of his own, bringing home Noah Hata and making it a 6-4 ballgame.
However, the Mustangs unleashed their full offensive power in the fifth inning, scoring eight runs and solidifying their dominance. Jaxon Little’s double brought in three runs, and Luikart’s double added two more, pushing the score to 15-4 in favor of St. Joseph. In the sixth inning, Callahan’s sacrifice fly brought Luikart home, giving the Mustangs a commanding 16-4 lead.
Throughout the game, St. Joseph’s offense proved formidable, amassing 14 hits. Meanwhile, Chillicothe struggled, committing three errors that ultimately contributed to their defeat.
On the pitching front, Kainoa Holt started on the mound for the Mudcats, lasting four innings and allowing seven earned runs. Dylan Mclntyre and Jackson Linguist followed, but were unable to contain the Mustangs’ potent offense. Peyton Becker entered the game in relief, pitching 0.1 innings without surrendering any runs.
The contest, witnessed by a crowd of 1,779 spectators, lasted 2 hours and 47 minutes.
Other MINK League scores from Friday, July 14, 2023:
Des Moines Peak Prospects 8, Carroll Merchants 2
Nevada Griffons 8, Clarinda A’s 5
(Non-League) Jefferson City Legends 11, Jefferson City Renegades 6
The MINK League Schedule for Saturday, July 15, 2023:
Clarinda at Carroll – 7:00 PM
Jefferson City at Joplin – 7:00 PM
Des Moines at St. Joseph – 7:00 PM
