Menu
Griffons drop pair of weekend home games
Nevada Daily Mail
The Nevada Griffons had a rough weekend, falling at home Saturday 3-0 to the Clarinda (Iowa) A's, followed by a 14-5 Sunday night home defeat against the St. Joseph Mustangs.
The pair of losses drops the Griffons to 3-4 overall (2-4 MINK League).
Against Clarinda, Nevada's Jamie Graeser led off the bottom of the first with a walk. However, Jacob Bryant grounded into a double play, followed by a Taylor Walker groundout to shortstop to end the first inning.
Nevada starting pitcher Jake Heissler, out of the University of Central Missouri, allowed a two-out single to Mondesi Guiterrez in the top of the second inning. Heissler was able to keep the game scoreless with a strikeout of Steve Pico Jr.
Leading off the bottom of the second, Eric Kirkpatrick reached base via an infield single. Dusty Wright followed, grounding into a fielders choice with Kirkpatrick being forced out at second.
With catcher Alex Jones at the plate, Wright was picked off first base by Clarinda starting pitcher Alex Ernestine for the second out of the inning. A Jones fly out to shallow right field concluded the second inning.
Heissler retired the side in the top of third inning with three fly outs, which included a nifty catch in foul territory by first baseman Walker, who reached over the fence to make the grab.
The Griffons again put the leadoff hitter on in the bottom of the third, as Austin Allison reached on a walk. Up next in the order, shortstop Ray Hutchison grounded into a double play. A ground out off the bat of Seth Sims brought the third inning to a close.
With one out in the top of the fourth inning, A's cleanup hitter Colin Butkiewicz blasted a Heissler offering to the right-center field wall, coasting into second base for a double. A single off the bat of Chase Hamilton advanced Butkiewicz 90-feet on the base paths. Hamilton would later steal second base to put runners in scoring position for T.J. Lockett, who grounded into a fielders choice, scoring Butkiewicz to hand Clarinda a 1-0 lead.
With Hamilton on third base, Guiterrez grounded out to end the inning.
Continuing a trend, Graeser led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single, and later advanced to second base on a passed ball. A Bryant sacrifice bunt advanced Graeser to third. With only one out in the inning, the Griffons again failed to plate a run, as Kirkpatrick's fly out to center field resulted in an inning-ending double play when Lockett gunned down Graeser at home plate.
Heissler cruised through the top of the fifth, as two ground outs and a strikeout quickly ended the inning. The story was much the same offensively for Nevada, as three straight ground outs wrapped up the fifth inning.
With two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth inning, Butkiewicz lined a pitch into right field. Attempting to advance to second, Wright was able to get the ball to second base in time for the tag out of Butkiewicz.
Hutchison opened the bottom of the sixth by legging out an infield single. The Griffons were unable to capitalize, as Sims bunted into a pop out double play. Back at the top of the Griffons order, Graeser picked up a two out single. For the second time in the contest, Ernestine notched a pick off, with Graeser as the latest victim, to close out the inning.
After working six innings, yielding only four hits and an earned run, Heissler was replaced on the mound by Jordan West, a right-handed pitcher out of Utah.
West quickly relinquished a stand-up
double to Hamilton. West then walked Lockett to put runners on first and second with nobody out. A Guiterrez bunt advanced both runners.
A hard hit grounder by Pico got past Sims at second base, scoring Hamilton, and moving Lockett over to third base, as Clarinda took a 2-0 lead.
With only one out in the inning, a Ben Duerr fielders choice scored Lockett from third, giving the A's a 3-0 advantage.
The Nevada bats remained quiet over the final three frames, as Clarinda relief pitchers Dylan Algra and Justin Hoyt locked things down, yielding only one hit combined.
For Nevada, Heissler (0-1) was saddled with the loss while Ernestine (1-1) picked up the victory.
Graeser was 2-for-3, Walker 1-for-2, and Hutchison 1-for-2.
Sunday night game
The Griffons faced a daunting task Sunday night against the St. Joseph Mustangs, as they matched up against starting pitcher Dixon Marble, who spun a complete game-shut out against them May 31 at Lyons Stadium.
For Nevada, Cody Lawson out of Chandler, Ariz., took the hill. Lawson gave up a two out single to three-hole hitter Josh Cassidy in the top of the first inning. Cleanup hitter Ramsey Scott was unable to keep the inning alive, as he grounded out to second base.
With a runner on and two outs in the bottom of the first, Wright lifted a Marble pitch to deep center field that was corralled near the fence by Jordan Powell.
A leadoff bloop single to center field off the bat of Scott Braren opened up the top of the second inning. Mustangs catcher Francisco Alvarez followed with a line drive single into left field.
Lawson found himself in a major jam after issuing a walk to Trent Hill to load the bases with no outs.
The Griffons received a much needed out when Powell grounded back to Lawson who was able to get the force out at home, for the first out of the inning.
Next up for St. Joseph, Jerry Houston grounded into a fielders choice, scoring Braren from third, to put the Mustangs in front 1-0. Lawson was able to minimize the damage, inducing a fly out of Orencio Fisher to draw the inning to a close.
The Griffons pieced together a two out rally in the bottom of the second, loading the bases courtesy of an Anthony Davison double, Cody Roose walk, and Chris Kobar single. However, Marble's mastery of the Griffons continued as Graeser flew out to center field to end the threat.
The Mustangs tacked on a run in the top of the third inning with an RBI double off the bat of Braren to go up 2-0.
Nevada's offensive woes mounted in the fourth inning. After loading the bases with just one out, Graeser teed off on a Marble pitch that would have scored multiple runs if not for Cassidy making a brilliant back-handed scoop at third base, stepping on the bag and firing to first base for the twin killing, keeping Marble's scoreless innings streak against the Griffons intact.
St. Joseph added a run in the top of the fifth to take a 3-0 lead. The Griffons finally scored on Marble, as he allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning, ending his scoreless innings streak against Nevada at 13 and 2/3 innings.
The Mustangs however, broke open the game with an eight run sixth inning.
A walk to open the inning ended Lawson's evening. Relief pitcher Connor Fannon, out of Oakland University received a rude welcoming from St. Joseph, as he could only muster one out, while allowing four earned runs off four hits.
It didn't get much better for Fannon's replacement, Blaine Fisher who allowed three earned runs off four hits before the wild top half of the inning came to an end.
For St. Joseph, Hill, Powell, Fisher, Richardson, Cassidy, Scott, Braren, and Alvarez each touched home plate, as the Mustangs lead ballooned to 11-1.
The Griffons bats awoke in the bottom half of the inning, as three hits resulted in three runs. The offensive resurgence chased Marble from the game after 5 and 1/3 innings.
During the Griffons big inning, Roose, Kobar, and Graeser each crossed home plate, slicing the Mustangs lead to 11-4.
After a quiet seventh and eighth inning from both teams, the Mustangs exploded for three more runs in the top of the ninth inning.
Hutchison, who also plays shortstop for the Griffons, replaced Fisher. Hutchison's three earned runs came off two hits. In addition, Hutchison added to his woes after hitting Cassidy.
With two outs and two on in the ninth, Ramsey Scott launched a home run over the left field fence, to put the Mustangs on top by 10 runs.
For Nevada, Lawson (0-1) took the loss while Marble (2-0) earned the victory.
The Mustangs 14 runs came on 17 hits. The Griffons connected for 12 hits, as Bryant was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run; Graeser 2-for-5 with a run; Bodenstab 2-for-5 with a run; Roose 1-for-3 with a run; Johnson 2-for-4; and Kobar 1-for-5 with a run.
For the Mustangs, Scott was 2-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored; Cassidy 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs; and Richardson 3-for-4 with three runs.
Upcoming schedule
(Home games in bold. All games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
* Today: Sedalia
* June 11: @ Branson, 5 p.m.
* June 12: @ Sedalia
* June 13: Monarchs
* June 14: St. Joseph
* June 15: @ Joplin
* June 16: @Sedalia
* June 17: Ozark
* June 18: Clarinda
* June 19: @ Branson, 5 p.m.
* June 20: @ Branson, 5 p.m.
* June 21: Sedalia
Griffons activities
* Today: Free admission courtesy of Heartland Behavioral Services; Dollar dog night.
* June 10: Griffons Youth Camp Ages 7-and-up.
* June 13: Home game vs. KC Monarchs, 7 p.m., featuring Baseball Bingo.
* June 14: Free admission courtesy of Nevada Housing Authority; Father's Day Initiative (this event is meant to be an encouragement to dads to participate in activities with their kids).