The Mudcats played in their craziest game of the season on Thursday night, as they lost a marathon contest to the Jefferson City Renegades in 12 innings, by a final score of 12-11. The four hour, 35 minute contest was the longest Mudcats game this season.
The Mudcats led Jefferson City, 11-9, going into the bottom of the twelfth, after an RBI triple from Rafael Calcano and a sacrifice fly RBI from Peyton Becker gave the Mudcats the advantage. However, the Renegades brought in three runs in the final frame on three hits, walking off the game on a bases loaded hit by pitch to Jordan Rosenberg. It was Jefferson City’s third walk-off win of the season, and the Renegades’ second walk off victory over the Mudcats.
Chillicothe also had the chance to put away the game in the top of the tenth, after RBIs from Rafael Calcano and Peyton Becker gave the Mudcats a 9-7 lead. However, with the Renegades down to their final out, Jack Hulobowski hit a game tying, 2 run home run to extend the game, his second home run of the night. The teams then both played a scoreless eleventh inning, with Justin Schnell coming in relief for the Mudacts and leaving the winning run at third base in that inning. Then the twelfth inning came, and the Renegades found a way to pull off the win.
Chillicothe initially led early in the game. John Spoto hit a solo home run in the first inning to give the Mudcats an early lead, while Jackson Crawford’s RBI single scored another Mudcats run in the second inning. With the score at 3-0, the Renegades plated their first run in the bottom of the second, before reigning MINK League Hitter of the Week, Julio Guerrero, demolished a ball over the left field fence for a solo home run in the top of the third. The home run for Guerrero was his third of the season, and it made the game 4-1 in Chillicothe’s favor.
However, the Renegades scored four important runs in the bottom of the third to take their first lead of the day, 5-4. They knocked out Chillicothe’s starting pitcher, Jordan Marlott, in the process, but Drew Hnilo came out of the bullpen for the Mudcats, and prevented any further damage in the frame by striking out three consecutive batters.
The Mudcats would score two runs in the fourth, on RBIs from Guerrero and Becker, and an unearned run in the sixth to take a 7-5 lead. Renegades’ reliever Cale Wilson impressed out of the bullpen, as the unearned run in the sixth inning was the only offense Chillicothe could muster against him in the middle portion of the game.
Jefferson City would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth. Leadoff hitter Cam Lee reached third base on an error, and scored on a past ball, before Jack Holubowski’s first home run of the game, a solo home run to left field, tied the game at 7-7.
The game would remain at that score until extra innings. Both teams had chances to win the game late in regulation, as both teams traded the bases loaded without scoring a single run on either side in the eighth inning. Mudcats’ relief pitcher Brennan Kettle helped Chillicothe get out of that particular jam in the eighth.
While the Mudcats did not win the game, the Mudcats did have some bright spots, one of them being Rafael Calcano, who finished with 4 extra base hits on the night, and 2 RBIs. Jackson Crawford also finished with three hits on the night, and scored three of the 11 Chillicothe runs on the evening.
Chillicothe fails to extend their MINK League win streak to three straight in the process, and they split the season series, 2-2, with the Renegades. The Mudcats also spoiled a chance to win back-to-back road games for the first time since May. Chillicothe is now 0-3 in games that have gone to extra innings, with all of those contests coming on the road. In addition, the Mudcats have now been walked off on five different occasions on the road.
Chillicothe is now 15-19 overall, and 13-19 in MINK League play. They remain in fifth place in the MINK League standings, and got a boost last night elsewhere as the Carroll Merchants failed to win. That could potentially help the Mudcats chances to clinch a postseason spot in the near future, but for now, the Mudcats’ magic number to clinch their first postseason spot in three seasons is still at six.
The Mudcats will take a break from MINK League action, and will play a non league contest tonight against the U.S. Military War Dogs at Shaffer Park. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m., and you’re not going to want to miss the fun. An extended pregame show covering all of the events that will occur before tonight’s game will be available on the KCHI video broadcast livestream on the KCHI Facebook Page, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Make sure to tune into the broadcast tomorrow, as multiple special guests will be making appearances on the broadcast, and you can listen to the broadcast live by tuning in to KCHI and kchi.com.
