The Chillicothe Mudcats got into another nail biting contest on Friday night at Shaffer Park, but this time they came away with the win, beating the defending MINK League Champions, the Jefferson City Renegades, by a final score of 5-4.
After Chillicothe was walked off twice in the space of the week, the Mudcats picked up their first one-run victory of the season, as Jefferson City stranded the bases loaded in both the seventh and the ninth innings. It was a big relief for the Mudcats, who were in danger of losing their third straight MINK League game.
Chillicothe pitcher Caleb Bergman pitched the final two innings of the game to clinch the Mudcats second save of the season, the first since the Mudcats’ MINK League home opener victory over Carroll. The win Friday was also Chillicothe’s first home win in league play since that game in May.
Chillicothe got out in front in the first inning, as leadoff man Peyton Becker walked and later scored on a wild pitch. In the third, the Mudcats would increase their advantage, scoring runs on RBI base hits from both Peyton Becker and Tanner Sears to make the score 3-0.
The Renegades would get on the board in the fourth, scoring two runs after three straight hits to start the inning. Those were the only runs that Chillicothe starter Josiah Golden would allow, as he pitched five innings and struck out eight Jefferson City batters, the most strikeouts by any Chillicothe pitcher in a start this season.
The Mudcats would stretch their lead back out to three in the fifth, as Drew Sanidad scored on a JC error, and John Spoto was brought home on a second RBI single of the day for Peyton Becker.
The Renegades would score once in the seventh to make the score 5-3, but Mudcats pitcher Jace Brownell got out of the first of two bases loaded jams that the Mudcats pitching staff faced on the evening, and no more runs were scored in the frame.
Chillicothe would strand the bases loaded in the seventh, and it seemed like that would come back to bite the Mudcats when Jefferson City cut the lead to one on a two strike, two out single by Charlie Berry in the top of the ninth. Then, the bases were loaded when Caleb Bergman hit the next batter, Braden Hemmer.
However, Bergman would get the final Renegades batter, Kyle Richardson, to ground out to the shortstop, Hunter Shoulta, to end the game. The save prevented Chillicothe from blowing a third save in the last six games.
The Mudcats moved to 5-8 in the MINK League, and 6-8 overall with the tight win. Now Chillicothe will have the chance to win back to back games against Jefferson City when they travel to take on the Renegades in the state capital tonight at 7:00 p.m. Listen live to tonight’s game and every Mudcats game this season on KCHI and on kchi.com.
