The Chillicothe Mudcats used a “new” combination to find a way to win a close game in the second game of Saturday night’s home doubleheader against the unbeaten Beatrice Bruins.
     Newly-recruited pitcher Nolan “Bubba” Martz started and worked five-plus creditable innings and Aaron Kleekamp overcame some amped-up emotion in his first chance at being the team’s closer to keep the Bruins at bay over the final two innings of a 5-3 victory.
     “We needed a guy to be able to shut the door on somebody and he did it,” commented a relieved (pun intended) Justin “Jud” Kindle, Mudcats head coach. “Hopefully he’ll be a go-to guy from now on.”
     Chillicothe had lost at least four of its previous 14 games with late-inning relief breakdowns, usually due to an inability to throw strikes. That had resulted in the Mudcats being only 6-7 (one prior game remains suspended in a tie after nine innings), instead of as perhaps as good as 10-3.
     The victory squared Chillicothe's overall record at 7-7 and moved its MINK League mark to 4-5. Beatrice dropped to 8-1 and 7-1 (MINK).