CHILLICOTHE – Tyler Bickers and Jonas Espinal combined for six hits in game one, lifting Chillicothe to an 8-5 victory, but St. Joseph racked up 10 hits in game two to win 9-4, and the two split a doubleheader at Shaffer Park Monday.
Koby Linder, who normally comes out of the bullpen for the Mudcats, tossed a seven-inning complete game in the first of two. His command was his best asset, walking just one in the contest and got tremendous run support from his offense.
Chillicothe grabbed an early 6-2 lead, eventually battering Mustang starter Jay Greco for eight hits across five innings, and despite two St. Joseph runs in the seventh, the Mudcats controlled the first game for an 8-5 win.
In game two, both teams traded leads early. Elijah Maris briefly gave the Mudcats a second-inning lead with a two-run double following an ejection of Mustang starting pitcher Mason Holton.
That lead disappeared on a live-ball balk that scored two Mustangs on the same play in the third inning. St. Joseph didn’t trail again, extending their lead to 9-3 after a five-run outburst in the fifth off of Mudcat reliever Caleb Bergman.
Chillicothe moves to 14-22 on the season, and with Carroll’s loss to Joplin, remains three games out of a playoff spot.
The Mudcats hit the road Tuesday to take on Des Moines. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. C.T.
