The St. Joseph Mustangs won their fourth consecutive game Friday, downing the Jefferson City Renegades 8-4. Now 10-5 overall and 9-5 in the M.I.N.K. League, the Mustangs are a combined 3-1 against the league’s two division leaders.
Left-hander Michael Infranca twirled the Mustangs’ fourth consecutive quality start. Lasting six innings, he allowed one earned run and retired seven of his final eight batters faced.
Jefferson City scored in the first and third, taking a 2-0 lead early on. In the fourth, the Mustangs loaded the bases with nobody out ahead of catcher Ben Click. The backstop knocked a single into shallow left field, plating two runs and tying the game. Right fielder Dakota Spicer then took the lead with a sacrifice fly.
Two innings later, left fielder Easton Bruce played long ball to extend the lead. Leading off the sixth, Bruce visited the Yellow Frog Graphics Party Deck for his fourth home run of the season. Bruce is now the outright league leader in home runs.
St. Joe’s lead lasted until the seventh, when two errors and a passed ball helped the Renegades tie the game. The two runs, both unearned, came against right-handed Jaren Guck. The reliever would turn the momentum around in the eighth by stranding the bases loaded.
With the game tied and Jefferson City having missed a golden opportunity, the Mustang offense went right to work. For a second time, Click delivered with the bases loaded, tapping an infield single to the right side. Though the go-ahead run was already in, St. Joe didn’t stop there. Three more runs came home on a fielder’s choice and fielding error, giving the Mustangs their largest lead of the night.
Making his team-high sixth pitching appearance of the summer, right-hander Ryker Curry closed the door in the ninth. The Mustangs will host the Nevada Griffons at 7 p.m. on Saturday to wrap up the homestand.
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