Griffons topple St. Joe for breakthrough victory

Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Nevada starter Jacob Lewis delivers in the first inning of the Griffons 4-3 victory over the St. Joseph Mustangs, Sunday night. Lewis was sharp in six innings of work.
Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail

Nevada Griffons fans and players alike can breathe a big sigh of relief.

After 10 consecutive losses to open the season in which the Griffons were outscored 85-38, Nevada finally broke through Sunday night with a 4-3 walk-off victory over the visiting St. Joseph Mustangs.

The Griffons (2-10 overall, 2-8 MINK) then returned to the diamond Monday, as they defeated the expansion Jefferson City Renegades, 4-2.

Prior to Sunday’s contest, the Griffons were swept in a three-game MINK League road-series by the Chillicothe Mudcats.

Griffons 4, Mustangs 3

With Sunday’s contest knotted 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Mustangs starter, southpaw Jake VanVacter, encountered some trouble, as the Griffons newest addition, Ben Bayless led off the inning with a single to left field.

VanVacter then recorded two quick outs, before T.J. Martin laced an offering into deep left. Mustangs left fielder Patrick Dillon was able to cut the ball off before it reached the wall, preventing pinch-runner Rafael Villela Jr. from scoring.

After 126 pitches, Martin’s single knocked VanVacter out of the contest. VanVacter was replaced on the hill by hard-throwing Logan Campbell.

After a series of warm-up pitches, Kainalu Pitoy, who entered the contest 2-for-23 on the season, clubbed Campbell’s first pitch high and down the left field line.

Dillon, who was shaded towards right field, sprinted toward the line and made an acrobatic dive, with the ball landing just out of his reach and inside the left field line.

After Villela Jr. crossed home plate for the walk-off victory, Griffons players streamed onto the field and mobbed Pitoy in celebration near the second base bag.

It had been a quiet offensive night prior to Pitoy’s heroics, as all the run-scoring came early in the contest.

Nevada jumped all over VanVacter in the first, as a one-out Bayless double into the left-center field gap plated Blaine DeMello to put the Griffons on top 1-0. With two outs, Martin blasted a double to the left-center field wall, scoring Bayless and Noah Menchaca as the Griffons went in front 3-0.

Griffons starter Jacob Lewis, out of Division I Coppin State University in New York, looked sharp in the first inning. The second inning, however, was a different story as the Mustangs opened the frame with consecutive singles.

A one-out Jeremiah Figueroa RBI-single put the Mustangs on the scoreboard. St. Joe then tied the game on a fielders choice, as two infield throwing errors on the play resulted in the second of the two runs.

The game remained tied 3-3 until the bottom of the ninth, with stellar pitching performances from both sides in between. Lewis was able to escape a fourth inning jam unscathed, leaving two Mustangs stranded.

Lewis, who tossed six innings, while allowing three earned runs to go along with seven strike outs and a pair of walks, was replaced on the mound by Pell City, Alabama native Bailey Smith.

Smith was excellent, allowing just two hits over two clean innings of work. Pittsburg State University product Kory Haught (1-0) came on in the ninth, setting down the side in order as he recorded a pair of strike outs en route to the victory.

VanVacter (0-1), who lasted 8.2 innings, cruised after his first inning hiccup, blanking the Griffons all the way up until the ninth, as he struck out seven on the night. At the plate, Pitoy, Martin, and Bayless collected two hits apiece.

Griffons 4, Renegades 2

The Griffons earned their first road victory of the season on Monday night, toppling the Jefferson City Renegades, of the MINK South division, 4-2.

Nevada starter Ethan Vanderpool (1-2) picked up the victory, allowing an unearned run over six innings of work, while striking out three and walking two.

Trailing 1-0 entering the top of the seventh, Michael Pagano connected for a two-RBI single en route to a three-run inning.

At the plate for Nevada, Ben Sneider finished 3-for-4, while DeMello and Pitoy added two hits apiece.

Mudcats 3, Griffons 2

The Griffons losing skid hit 10 games as they were swept in a three-game MINK League road series by the Chillicothe Mudcats. The final game of the series was played Saturday night, as Chillicothe edged the Griffons 3-2.

Trailing by a run in the top of the ninth and Oscar Larranaga in scoring position, Nick Kreutzer watched strike three, as Trevor Maly’s punch out concluded the contest.

In the early-going, Nevada jumped on top 1-0 courtesy of a Larranaga first-inning run-scoring single. Chillicothe tied the contest 1-1 after Kenny Jerama drew a Jake Fraze bases-loaded two-out walk, plating Brice Besenius.

Pitching held up on both sides until the bottom of the seventh, when Anthony Lantigua broke open the tie game with a two-out double down the left field line, allowed by Griffons relief pitcher Cam Fowler. Lantigua’s two-RBI base knock turned out to be the game-winning hit.

Nevada pushed across a run in the eighth off Mudcats pitcher Dan Naif, who allowed a two-out double off the bat of Darren Willis, scoring Villela Jr. from second, as Nevada trailed by a run.

After a pitching change, Willis was stranded at second base as Marco Young grounded out to second to end the inning.

For the Griffons, Fraze allowed an earned run, struck out four and walked four over five innings of work. In a two-inning middle relief appearance, Fowler (0-1) took the loss, allowing two earned runs off three hits and a walk.

Mudcats starting pitcher Isaac Rubendall was effective, while not factoring into the decision, as he scattered six hits over five innings of work, allowing one (unearned) run, to go along with three walks and a pair of strike outs. Naif (1-1) picked up the victory while Maly notched the save.

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