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Griffons reel in Mudcats with long ball and stout relief, 6-3
The Nevada Griffons put the finishing touches on their three-game MINK League series with the visiting Chillicothe Mudcats, taking Thursday night’s rubber game, 6-3.
After dropping the series opener Tuesday at Lyons Stadium, Nevada bounced back, edging Chillicothe 6-5 on Wednesday. After an 0-10 start to the season, Thursday night’s series clinching victory moves the Griffons into second place in the MINK South division, as Nevada improves to 11-13 in MINK League-play. The Griffons currently sit 4.5 games back of the first-place Ozark Generals (15-8 Mink League).
“We threw strikes and minimized mistakes tonight,” said Griffons manager Ryan Mansfield. “We weren’t swinging at pitches out of the zone and we were aggressive on the base paths.”
Griffons 6, Mudcats 3
After a rough outing in his previous start, Griffons starter Jacob Lewis rebounded on Thursday, tossing six frames while allowing two earned runs, en route to his first victory of the season.
“Jacob was able to get us deep into the game,” said Griffons pitching coach Wally Marciel. “And with the (total) number of pitchers we have (available), we expect our starters to go as deep into games as they can.”
Marciel said he was impressed with Lewis’ pace, as the Coppin State University product wasn’t wasting any time in-between pitches.
“I try to preach to him, ‘force tempo, force tempo and work in the zone,’” noted Marciel. “(Lewis) has a pretty good fastball and change-up. And when he works ahead in the count, he can use those pitches to his advantage. I was really pleased with his performance tonight getting through six. (He exceeded 100 pitches), but really grinded and competed for us.”
The Mudcats seized an early advantage, courtesy of a Bryce Bisenius first inning two-out RBI double down the left field line. Griffons two-hole hitter Kainalu Pitoy answered back in the home-half of the first, with a solo blast off Mudcats starter Blake Collister, tying the game 1-1. Pitoy’s round-tripper was his second of the season.
The Griffons big inning came in the third as Nevada plated four runs. A one-out Nick Kreutzer ground-rule double scored Rafael Villela Jr., as Nevada went on top 2-1. With runners in scoring position, Noah Menchaca laced a double into the left field corner, scoring both Pitoy and Kreutzer as the Griffons led 4-1. With two outs in the inning, Menchaca scored from third on a Collister wild pitch, handing the Griffons a 5-1 lead.
Nevada tacked onto the lead in the fourth, as shortstop L.J. Hatch, who’s currently hitting a Ted Williams-like .408, clubbed a Collister offering over the left field wall, increasing the Griffons lead to five runs.
After scoring a run in the sixth, the Mudcats tacked on another in the ninth, via Bisenius’s two-out run-scoring single, trimming Nevada’s lead to 6-3. Griffons closer David Ruot, however, struck out the side to secure the series.
Griffons 6, Mudcats 5
Griffons relief pitchers were terrific in Wednesday night’s matchup, tossing three perfect innings to preserve a one-run lead. With the Griffons leading 6-5, Riley Ulery replaced starter Jack Fraze in the seventh, followed by Pitt State product Kory Haught in the eighth, and finally Ruot in the ninth, as the closer out of Abilene, Texas locked down the victory. Ruot, who collected his third save, has been dynamite this season, as he currently sports a sparkling 2.25 earned run average.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Griffons open up a six-game road swing tonight against the Sedalia Bombers, as the first pitch is slated for 7 p.m. The Griffons do not return to Lyons Stadium until Sunday, July 9.