Sedalia strikes late, staggers Griffons

Nevada Griffons relief pitcher Cam Fowler comes set for a pitch, during the eighth inning of Monday night’s contest with the Sedalia Bombers at Lyons Stadium.

Matt Resnick/Daily Mail

The Nevada Griffons surrendered an eighth-inning lead to the Sedalia Bombers, falling 6-4 in a Monday night MINK League matchup at Lyons Stadium.

The contest, previously scheduled for Sunday evening, was pushed back a day after rainfall forced a postponement. The loss drops Nevada to 4-12 overall (4-10 MINK League). Meanwhile, the North division Bombers improve to 8-5 in league-play.

Trailing 4-2 in the top of the eighth, Sedalia stormed back, plating three runs to go on top 5-4.

Nevada Griffons first baseman Nick Kreutzer applies a tag on a successful pick-off throw from starting pitcher Jacob Lewis, Monday evening at Lyons Stadium. Sedalia’s Harrison Schnurbusch was called out on the play at first.

Matt Resnick/Daily Mail

The Griffons third pitcher of the evening, southpaw Cam Fowler, out of Moline, Ill., yielded a one-out home run. A lefty-on-lefty matchup –– the towering solo blast over the scoreboard in right-center field, came off the bat of Mitch Barrow, as the Bombers trailed 4-3.

“It was a slider,” Barrow told his teammates as he entered the visitors dugout after rounding the base paths, referring to Fowler’s offering.

Fowler’s rough inning continued, as a Raul Elguezabal single into left-center, followed by an Andrew Brooks RBI-double down the right field line, tied the contest 4-4. Brooks base knock also knocked Fowler out of the contest, as he was replaced by Pitt State product Kory Haught.

Haught promptly struck out Sedalia’s Harrison Schnurbusch for the second out of the inning. With Brooks in scoring position, Cole Gray laced a Haught pitch towards first baseman Nick Kreutzer, who was unable to make the play, as the ball made its way into right field, allowing Brooks to score from second, as Sedalia went in front 5-4.

Despite the difficulty of the play, Kreutzer was charged with an error.

After the Griffons went quietly in the home half of the eighth, the Bombers were able to strike again, tacking on an insurance run in the top of the ninth.

With the bases loaded and two outs, a Brooks infield single, which deflected off the glove of Haught, scored Tyson Cushman, as Sedalia seized a two-run advantage.

The two-run cushion was more than enough for Bombers closer Louis Niemerg, who in four previous appearances, entered Monday’s contest with a microscopic 1.04 earned run average.

Niemerg made quick work of the Griffons, setting down the side in order as three fly outs concluded the contest.

Jacob Harris (1-0), who tossed an inning and a third in middle relief, was credited with the victory, while Fowler (0-2), who allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits was saddled with the loss. Niemerg notched his third save of the season.

Griffons starter Jacob Lewis went 4.2 innings, while allowing two earned runs, to go along with five walks and three hits.

At the plate, Kreutzer finished 2-for-5 with a home run, an RBI and two runs scored; while Cole Solomon finished 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Up next

The Griffons return to the diamond tonight, as they host the visiting Jefferson City Renegades, with the first pitch slated for 7 p.m.