After an impressive victory on the road in St. Joseph, the Mudcats would return home to battle the Carroll Merchants. The Merchants are off to a 6-1 start to the season, looking to continue their hot start.
Top of the first, the Merchants would put up three runs on RHP Bailey Quint. They would add another run in the second off an error by Third Baseman Chris Carratala, his second of the game. Chillicothe would struggle defensively throughout the game, putting up five total errors in just the first five innings. Carratala had three in the first two innings, leading to Infielder Jackson Lindquist  taking over in the third inning. The Mudcats would put runs on the board in the bottom of the third, as Center Fielder Nathan MacLaren would hit a two-RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-2.
After Bailey Quint gets pulled from the game, in the fifth inning, the Merchants would go on to add four runs, making it a six-run lead, 8-2. Chillicothe battled back in the seventh inning by scoring four runs of their own, as Sammy Cruz would hit an RBI single, Peyton Becker with hit a two RBI double and MacLaren drove in a run on a sacrifice bunt, making it 8-6. Carroll would add an insurance run in the eighth inning, making it 9-6. That score would hold heading into the bottom of the ninth, with the Mudcats trailing by three. MacLaren would add his fourth RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly, making it 9-7. Chillicothe would go on to fall by that score.
Another game, another loss for the Mudcats as they fall to 2-7 on the season. Even with the losing record, the Mudcats keep finding small glimpses of hope in certain aspects of the game. Outfielder Kodai Yaoita recorded his second straight multi-hit game, after starting the season not hitting the ball well. Another area they improved on in this loss is cashing in when runners are on base. They managed to only strand four runners left on base in this game, an area of play where they have really struggled early on.
Next Game:
Merchants stay in town as they battle Chillicothe Friday Night at 7:05 PM. It is Western Night at Shaffer Park, so fans in attendance should make sure to find their best western apparel and sport it proud at the ballpark.
