NEVADA, Mo. – A frustrating four-day road trip – the 2009 season's longest – which began with a literal loss ended in a figurative, but potentially more-damaging loss for the Chillicothe Mudcats Sunday afternoon.
One day after stranding 16 baserunners in a 5-3 loss and two days after seeing a three-run ninth-inning rally at Joplin fall one run short when the bases were left loaded, the Mudcats led the Nevada Griffons all day long, until it counted at the end of the game.
Nevada got a game-tying, pinch-hit grand slam by Peter Barrows with one out in the bottom of the ninth after two hit batsmen and a single to send the game to extra innings and then a Jason Houston leadoff double and a one-out sacrifice fly by Thomas McAlpine in the 10th to win 9-8.
"You can't set the table for them," Chillicothe head coach Adam Steyer lamented the way Nevada was able to get the tying run to the dish in the ninth. "You've got to force them to put three runners on and earn 'em."
The Mudcats, who unknowingly had a piece of luggage fall out of the back of their bus just outside of Chillicothe as they departed on their trip last Thursday, fell to 2-6 on the season with the third-straight setback and are in last place in the MINK League's North division at 1-6. Nevada improved to 6-4 (6-3).
The Mudcats were to be back in home action tonight, to take on Topeka in league play, but the weather has forced that game to be postponed, according to Mudcats general manager Liz Fechtig.
It will become part of a doubleheader on Tuesday, June 30. The first game that night will begin at 6:05 p.m., Fechtig said.
Next up now for Chillicothe is a Wednesday non-league home contest against a team from Des Moines, Iowa. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Chillicothe scored one run in the first inning yesterday and then added four more in the second, but could have had more each time.
Darian Sandford and Kyle Standridge, batting second with Matty Johnson getting the day off from starting in center field, each singled on the infield to begin the game. That put runners at first and third with no outs for the Nos. 3-5 men in the lineup.
With Steyer having slightly juggled his lineup, Tyler Minto came up as the designated hitter, but fanned. After Sowers, who had homered twice and had all three runs batted in in the previous night’s loss to Nevada (see story on page 9), grounded ball off the shortstop’s glove in the hole for another RBI and a 1-0 Chillicothe lead, Zach Amrein also whiffed with runners at the corners. A groundout by John Creely then limited the scoring to that single run.
Nevada tied it with significant assistance by the Mudcats in the home half.
With one on, John Wagle singled to right. He then stole second and tried to go to third when catcher Creely’s throw went into center field. An on-target throw by Standridge easily would have nailed the runner, but the peg was way high and went against the front of the Nevada dugout as Wagle held. Instead of being the second out, he scored moments later on Jason Houston’s bouncer to shortstop.
The Mudcats went right back to work with the sticks on Griffons lefthander Adam Champion, a selection by the San Francisco Giants in last week’s Major League Baseball draft, in the second frame.
|
|
|
NEVADA, Mo. – A frustrating four-day road trip – the 2009 season's longest – which began with a literal loss ended in a figurative, but potentially more-damaging loss for the Chillicothe Mudcats Sunday afternoon.
One day after stranding 16 baserunners in a 5-3 loss and two days after seeing a three-run ninth-inning rally at Joplin fall one run short when the bases were left loaded, the Mudcats led the Nevada Griffons all day long, until it counted at the end of the game.
Nevada got a game-tying, pinch-hit grand slam by Peter Barrows with one out in the bottom of the ninth after two hit batsmen and a single to send the game to extra innings and then a Jason Houston leadoff double and a one-out sacrifice fly by Thomas McAlpine in the 10th to win 9-8.
"You can't set the table for them," Chillicothe head coach Adam Steyer lamented the way Nevada was able to get the tying run to the dish in the ninth. "You've got to force them to put three runners on and earn 'em."
The Mudcats, who unknowingly had a piece of luggage fall out of the back of their bus just outside of Chillicothe as they departed on their trip last Thursday, fell to 2-6 on the season with the third-straight setback and are in last place in the MINK League's North division at 1-6. Nevada improved to 6-4 (6-3).
The Mudcats were to be back in home action tonight, to take on Topeka in league play, but the weather has forced that game to be postponed, according to Mudcats general manager Liz Fechtig.
It will become part of a doubleheader on Tuesday, June 30. The first game that night will begin at 6:05 p.m., Fechtig said.
Next up now for Chillicothe is a Wednesday non-league home contest against a team from Des Moines, Iowa. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Chillicothe scored one run in the first inning yesterday and then added four more in the second, but could have had more each time.
Darian Sandford and Kyle Standridge, batting second with Matty Johnson getting the day off from starting in center field, each singled on the infield to begin the game. That put runners at first and third with no outs for the Nos. 3-5 men in the lineup.
With Steyer having slightly juggled his lineup, Tyler Minto came up as the designated hitter, but fanned. After Sowers, who had homered twice and had all three runs batted in in the previous night’s loss to Nevada (see story on page 9), grounded ball off the shortstop’s glove in the hole for another RBI and a 1-0 Chillicothe lead, Zach Amrein also whiffed with runners at the corners. A groundout by John Creely then limited the scoring to that single run.
Nevada tied it with significant assistance by the Mudcats in the home half.
With one on, John Wagle singled to right. He then stole second and tried to go to third when catcher Creely’s throw went into center field. An on-target throw by Standridge easily would have nailed the runner, but the peg was way high and went against the front of the Nevada dugout as Wagle held. Instead of being the second out, he scored moments later on Jason Houston’s bouncer to shortstop.
The Mudcats went right back to work with the sticks on Griffons lefthander Adam Champion, a selection by the San Francisco Giants in last week’s Major League Baseball draft, in the second frame.
