After the Chillicothe Mudcats and Carroll Merchants had their first pitch time moved from 7:05 p.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, despite that first pitch being moved up, the two were only able to complete three innings due to a nasty thunderstorm that moved through the area and washed out Shaffer Park.
The Mudcats and Merchants were all tied at five runs a piece when the ball game was brought to a halt. Carroll scored one in the top of the second on a Jackson Hartzell fielder’s choice groundout that scored Jack Luthren.
The Mudcats then struck for five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Canon Creason doubled in Slater Hooke to begin the scoring for Chillicothe. Creason then later scored on a Merchant error at shortstop, and Rafael Calcaño stole home on the same play. 3-1 Chillicothe. Later in the inning, Jordi Ventura doubled in Jackson Neilitz and Ryder McClain to make 5-1 Mudcats after two innings.
The Merchants tied the game up in the third on a pair of two-run doubles from Jack Luthren and Carter Storti. It was 5-5 after three innings.
Then, just as the fourth inning was about to start, lightning struck and sent us into a delay, and five minutes later a heavy thunderstorm began and eventually put Shaffer Park underwater and rained us out for the rest of Saturday.
The Mudcats and Merchants will resume the game tied at 5 in the top of the fourth at a later date.
Chillicothe is off on Sunday, and will return to the diamond on Monday in Kirksville against the North Missouri Naturals, first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.