The St Joe Mustangs couldn't grasp their last road win yesterday against the Clarinda A's, which resulted in their fifth loss. Today, the Mustangs returned to Phil Welch Stadium to take on bitter rivals the Chillicothe Mudcats.
The Mudcats and Mustangs have had a rivalry with zero love loss throughout the season, with close games and many more blowouts by the Mustangs. The Mustangs look to keep their rivals from Chillicothe from gaining a win.
In the first inning, starting pitcher Roy Holcomb took the mound. Holcomb gave up a run after Mudcats third baseman Hunter Shoulta hit a sacrifice fly to score designated hitter Julio Gurrero to lead in the first 0-1.
Holcomb returned in the second inning, giving up two hits but keeping the score 0-1 after recording a strikeout and two popouts.
In the third inning, after back-to-back singles, Shoulta hit another sacrifice fly to score Gurrero again to extend the Mudcats lead 0-2.
In the fourth inning, Gurerro hit a three-run home run into the party deck to extend the Mudcats' lead to 0-5.
In the fifth inning, relief pitcher Andrew Clark took the mound and recorded a strikeout and two popouts, only giving up one hit.
The Mustangs started their offense in the bottom of the fifth inning, starting with second baseman Truman Bodenhaus hitting a single to the pitcher. Shortstop Carson Schmidt walked and took second on a wild pitch, with Bodenhaus advancing to third. Right fielder Noah Bodenhaus grounded out, scoring T. Bodenhaus to trail 1-5.
In the sixth, Clark gave up a walk but recorded another strikeout and two popouts to give the Mudcats no ground.
In the bottom of the sixth, left fielder Easton Bruce and designated hitter Jayden Little singled to put runners on first and second. First baseman Jackon Glueck reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a Mudcat error. Bruce scored to trail 2-5.
After T. Bodenhaus walked to load the bases, Schmidt reached on another fielder's choice with T. Bodenhaus out at second and Little scoring to trail 3-5. With bases loaded after an N. Bodenhaus walk, center fielder Darius Freeman would ground into a questionable call for a double play, ending the inning.
With Clark on a tear, he returned to the mound in the seventh to record another strikeout and give up one hit, keeping the Mudcats still.
In the bottom of the seventh, catcher Dom Felix reached on a Mudcat error. After Little walked to advance Felix, Glueck singled to score Felix from second to trail the Mudcats 4-5.
Clark sat in the eighth for relief pitcher Jaren Guck. Guck took down the Mudcats 1-2-3 to lead the Mustang's offense.
N. Bodenhaus started the bottom of the eighth offense with a single. Freeman evened the odds with a triple, scoring N. Bodenhaus to tie the game at 5. The tie wouldn't last long as Felix singled to score Freeman to lead 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth.
Guck, now a closing pitcher, came into the ninth starting with a walk but ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts for the Mudcats to win against the Mudcats 6-5.
Your Mustangs player of the game is Noah Bodenhaus, who went 3-4 with an RBI.
The Mustangs stay home for the fourth of July to face off against the Sedalia Bombers at 7:00 p.m.
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