The Chillicothe Mudcats had already clinched a spot in the MINK League postseason for the first time in three years earlier this week. They came into the final day of the MINK League playoffs with a chance to host a MINK League playoff game for the first time in five years. They needed to either win against the Warren County Cropdusters, or they needed the Sedalia Bombers to lose at St. Joseph earlier in the day. Unfortunately, they got neither result to work in their favor.
The Mudcats concluded their 2024 regular season with a 12-3 defeat to the Warren County Cropdusters on the road Sunday evening at Simpson College in Indianola, IA. The Cropdusters won their third game against the Mudcats this season, winning their final game of the season, as Warren County did not qualify for the MINK League playoffs. Chillicothe dropped their third game in the last four contests, all road games that have been played over the past four days.
Warren County picked up the opening run after a leadoff walk moved around to score in the bottom of the second inning. Chillicothe left the bases loaded in the second and fourth innings, which would later come back to haunt them.
The Mudcats would take a brief lead in the top of the fifth, driving in two runs, one on an RBI single by Sammy Cruz, to make it 2-1 Chillicothe. The other run scored on a double steal attempt that allowed Drew Sanidad to steal home, taking his stolen base tally for the season to 32.
Unfortunately, in the bottom of the fifth inning, things fell apart for the Mudcats. Chillicothe’s pitching staff, which was incredibly thin due to an overload of work during the final week of the season, allowed seven runs to score from Warren County. Three pitchers pitched in the inning for the Mudcats, and they issued three walks, hit two batters, and gave up two hits in the frame.
Chillicothe’s pitching staff struggled, allowing 13 walks in the game, and only striking out four batters. Many of the main arms in the Mudcats’ bullpen were rested on Sunday in preparation for the MINK League postseason.
Warren County held full control of the game from there, scoring three runs in the seventh inning on three hits, to make the score 11-2. Both teams would trade one run apiece in the eighth, with the Mudcats run coming on a Hunter Shoulta RBI infield single. Warren County closed it out from there, putting the Mudcats down in order in the ninth inning.
The loss means that Chillicothe’s 2024 regular season record finishes at 20-23, and their MINK League record ends at 18-22. Due to Chillicothe’s loss and Sedalia’s victory on the final day of the MINK League season, the Mudcats enter postseason contention as the number five seed.
It means that the Mudcats will take the road for the first game of the playoffs today, their fifth straight road game in five straight days. The first round of playoffs will be tonight, as the number five seed, Chillicothe, travels to face the number four seed, the Sedalia Bombers. The two teams split the season series, 2-2 this summer, with Chillicothe winning both games against the Bombers last week, one at home and one on the road. Sedalia won the first two meetings against the Mudcats at the beginning of June.
It’s win or go home for the Mudcats tonight, as they face the Bombers in the first round of playoffs tonight at 7:00. Be sure to tune into the first round of the 2024 MINK League playoffs for your Mudcats by listening live tonight on KCHI and on KCHI.com
