CARROLL – Carroll scored seven times in the ninth, capped off by a three-run walk-off homer by Hunter Reid, and the Merchants took down the Mudcats 9-6 in a thriller at Merchants Park Sunday.
Chillicothe led 6-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, but the first four hitters reached for the Merchants, all of whom came around to score.
Steven Ricketts was one out away from getting out of the jam and forcing the game to extras when the Mudcats intentionally walked Garrett Freeman, who finished the day 3-for-4. That gave way to Hunter Reid, who was previously hitless in the game.
Reid drove the game-winner deep to left field for his first home run of the summer, and it was enough to put the Merchants over the top in a stunning comeback victory.
This is the second time the Merchants have walked off the Mudcats this year. The other came in the season opener on a single in the bottom of the 12th, giving Carroll a 16-15 win.
Both teams wasted good starts from their pitchers. Will Loesch tossed four solid innings for the Mudcats, giving up a single run on four hits. Ryan Riddle went six deep for the Merchants, allowing just one run while striking out nine.
Chillicothe’s five-run eighth was enough to rally from a two-run deficit, but that evaporated in the bottom of the ninth thanks to four walks by Mudcat pitching in the final frame alone.
The Mudcats fall to 2-6 on the season with the loss.
The Mudcats are back at Shaffer Park Tuesday for another round with the Carroll Merchants. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. C.T.
