Doubleheader sweeps are always nice, but sometimes it’s just great to get one. The Clarinda A’s traveled to Chillicothe for the second time this week for a doubleheader on Saturday Night. In Game One, the Mudcats’ offense would start off slow and find themselves unable to comeback, falling 7-5. In Game Two, quick pitching and solid offense led to a 5-4 victory. The Mudcats would not only break Clarinda’s eight-game winning streak, but hand them their first road loss as well. Along with that, we’d have back-to-back games of Mudcats’ records being broken.
Game One was started by RHP Karter Muck, who has been dominant in his first few starts. Muck would come back down to earth, as he gets tagged for three earned runs over six innings, surrendering three walks and four hits. On the positive side, he would strikeout four. RHP JJ Tylicki would struggle with command in the seventh, allowing three more runs in a third of an inning. The offense didn’t start clicking until the sixth, when Chillicothe would put two on the board. They tempted to rally in the bottom of the seventh, but came up short, as Outfielder Ben Kasparie lined out with the tying run on first.
Game Two featured two starters featuring quick tempo. Mudcats’ RHP Caleb Bergman and A’s RHP Colby Royal would work a quick pace in each inning, scoreless for the first few innings. Bergman would set down the first ten batters he faced in order before finally allowing a baserunner. The scoring started in the third with Catcher Luca Boscarino, driving in a run on an RBI double. Right Fielder Kodai Yaoita would follow it up with an RBI single, taking a 2-0 lead. Boscarino would replicate that at bat in the fifth, as he hit another double, this time scoring two runs. First Baseman Zack Thompson would drive in the go-ahead run in Boscarino, at 5-4. After Outfielder Noah Hata broke the Mudcats’ all-time consecutive hits record at seven, Boscarino would break that in this game and adding an extra, as the record now sits at nine. He would finish the night 3-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored.
After Bergman would toss five innings, RHP Ryan Knipfer would pitch a scoreless and hitless sixth. It would be all up to RHP Tanner Sears looking for the save in the seventh, as he strikes out the first two batters and gets the final batter to fly out to left. That’s now the second save on the season for Sears, as he looked completely locked in out of the bullpen.
NEXT GAME:
Now 10-14, Chillicothe hosts the Des Moines Peak Prospects Sunday Night, first pitch set for 5:05 PM. RHP Jake Young is set to start.
