The Chillicothe Mudcats picked up win number 20 on the season, and road win number six on the season, as they beat Nevada, 12-1. The win on Saturday night helped the Mudcats split the season series with the Griffons, and broke a small two game losing streak in the process.
It was Chillicothe’s first win by double digits on the road this season. They now have scored 114 runs on 143 hits in 13 games during the month of July. It’s Chillicothe’s tenth win in the month alone.
The game was scoreless through the first four innings of play before the Mudcats had the big inning of the day in the top of the fifth. Chillicothe scored six runs on five hits in the frame, starting the scoring on an RBI double from Peyton Becker, one of three doubles for Chillicothe’s leadoff man during the day. RBI singles from Drew Sanidad and Jorey Anderson poured the pressure on for Nevada starting pitcher, Lucas Snyder.
The top of the fifth inning was capped off in a big way with a two out, three run home run from Sammy Cruz on his 23rd birthday, which at that time made it 6-0. It was Cruz’s second home run in three days, and his second at Nevada in that span. Both home runs traveled into right field for the right handed hitter.
Nevada scored their only run, an unearned one in the bottom of the sixth, before the Mudcats came back to score two runs on one hit in the seventh inning, making the score 8-1. The Mudcats scored the runs after a successful double steal caught the Nevada defense sleeping, and after two Nevada errors after the double steal attempt, both Drew Sanidad and Hunter Shoulta came in to score.
Chillicothe then took advantage of three walks and a hit by pitch in the top of the ninth, and poured on four more runs against the Griffons, who had already been eliminated from postseason contention earlier in the week. Hunter Shoulta had an RBI single in the inning, and three other Mudcats runs scored on three different wild pitches. The pitcher in the ninth inning, Dryden Cosens, did could not make it through the brutal inning on the mound, and Ryan Welch got the final out for the Griffons in relief.
On Chillicothe’s end, Mudcats starting pitcher Caleb Bergman pitched a gem, throwing more than 120 pitches in eight innings of work, giving up one hit, one unearned run, and striking out eight batters, a career high in an appearance for him as a Mudcat. Only five batters reached safely against the three year Mudcat veteran, as Bergman clinched his second win of the season. Bergman also did the Mudcats pitching staff a favor, as many of the Chillicothe arms got a much needed day off from the mound.
Chillicothe moved to 20-22 on the season with the big win, and 18-21 in MINK League play. With one game left to play, it means that Chillicothe would have to win multiple postseason games if they want to finish the 2024 season above .500.
There is one more day in the 2024 MINK League regular season, and that is Sunday, July 21. It has already been confirmed that Chillicothe will face Sedalia Bombers in the first round of the postseason on Monday. The Mudcats are hoping to clinch an opportunity to play the game against Sedalia at home on Monday night.
The Mudcats could clinch the home postseason game with one of the following two scenarios: If Sedalia loses at St. Joseph this afternoon, OR if the Mudcats win their final game of the regular season.
That final game of the regular season will take place in Indianola, as the Mudcats travel to face the already eliminated Warren County Cropdusters. A change in time means it’s an early start time tonight, with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch. Be sure to listen in as the Mudcats complete the 2024 regular season live by tuning into KCHI and kchi.com.
