The Chillicothe Mudcats are only nine years old, but they and the two MINK League teams which have called St. Joseph home – the defunct Saints and current Mustangs – have built a notable catalog of memorable extra-inning games, the latest of which came Friday night.
As with the 13-inning marathon against the Saints in the regional tournament in 2005 and last year’s North Division title-clinching 12-inning contest, Chillicothe’s memories of Friday’s game will be happy ones because the Mudcats emerged victorious.
Having dodged disaster in a tied game in the eighth inning with bases-full double play on a 3-0 pitch, the Fish capitalized on a Mustangs error with Josh McDorman’s suicide-squeeze, bunt single in the top of the 12th and Colin Parker capped nine innings of shutout team relief hurling with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 12th to gain a 3-2 victory.
“It was kind of an up-and-down dogfight all game, one of those games where both teams had opportunities to make things happen and the game just kept extending,” head coach Adam Steyer of Chillicothe summarized.
“Runs were tough to come by. We were into their bullpen and they were using their best.”
The Chillicothe triumph further tightened the 2010 North Division race St. Joseph once had a large lead in, mostly because the Mudcats have had the Ponies’ number.
Clinching the season series between the teams with their fifth win in six meetings, the Fish raised their league mark to 12-9 and their overall record to 13-9.
By the end of the holiday weekend, the Mudcats had climbed into a flat-footed tie with the Clarinda A’s for second place in the North, 21⁄2 games back of St. Joseph (17-9), but at least tied in the “lost” column.
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The Chillicothe Mudcats are only nine years old, but they and the two MINK League teams which have called St. Joseph home – the defunct Saints and current Mustangs – have built a notable catalog of memorable extra-inning games, the latest of which came Friday night.
As with the 13-inning marathon against the Saints in the regional tournament in 2005 and last year’s North Division title-clinching 12-inning contest, Chillicothe’s memories of Friday’s game will be happy ones because the Mudcats emerged victorious.
Having dodged disaster in a tied game in the eighth inning with bases-full double play on a 3-0 pitch, the Fish capitalized on a Mustangs error with Josh McDorman’s suicide-squeeze, bunt single in the top of the 12th and Colin Parker capped nine innings of shutout team relief hurling with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 12th to gain a 3-2 victory.
“It was kind of an up-and-down dogfight all game, one of those games where both teams had opportunities to make things happen and the game just kept extending,” head coach Adam Steyer of Chillicothe summarized.
“Runs were tough to come by. We were into their bullpen and they were using their best.”
The Chillicothe triumph further tightened the 2010 North Division race St. Joseph once had a large lead in, mostly because the Mudcats have had the Ponies’ number.
Clinching the season series between the teams with their fifth win in six meetings, the Fish raised their league mark to 12-9 and their overall record to 13-9.
By the end of the holiday weekend, the Mudcats had climbed into a flat-footed tie with the Clarinda A’s for second place in the North, 21⁄2 games back of St. Joseph (17-9), but at least tied in the “lost” column.
