Griffons club Clarinda with long ball, 10-2

Friday, June 23, 2017
Lift off: Nevada Griffons slugger, Noah Menchaca, hammers a pitch into the outfield. Menchaca provided the offensive fireworks Thursday night, clubbing a grand slam and a two-run home run, as the Griffons defeated Clarinda, 10-2.
Nick Wright/Daily Mail

The Nevada Griffons offense is clicking on all cylinders.

Coming off Wednesday’s 10-1 thrashing of the visiting Jefferson City Renegades, the Griffons stayed red-hot at the dish, with a 10-2 victory over the North division Clarinda (Iowa) A’s, Thursday night at Lyons Stadium.

The victories move the Griffons to 7-12 overall and 7-10 in MINK League-play. Nevada currently sits 3.5 games back of first-place Ozark (10-6 MINK) in the South division.

Griffons starter Jonah Smith, delivers Thursday evening against the visiting Clarinda A's. Smith tossed five innings, allowing one earned run, en route to his first victory of the season.
Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail

Griffons star slugger Noah Menchaca made the inaugural “George Lyons Night” a memorable one, commemorating the evening’s festivities with a first inning grand slam off A’s starter Adam Poldberg. The slam was a mammoth shot high into the tree line beyond the left field wall.

After yielding a run in the second, Griffons starter Jonah Smith settled in to a groove. Meanwhile, Poldberg’s night came to a sudden halt after just one inning of work. The Griffons, however, continued to pummel Clarinda pitching, as the A’s third pitcher of the evening, Parker Dent, was roughed up for four earned runs in the home-half of the fourth.

After opening the frame with consecutive hit batters, Griffons first baseman Ben Sneider made Dent pay, lacing an RBI double down the left field line, as Nevada led 5-1. Dent’s woes continued, as a pair of walks forced in L.J. Hatch from third.

T.J. Martin then capitalized on the bases loaded opportunity, with an RBI-single to left as Nevada led 7-1. The final run of the frame came courtesy of a Raphael Villela Jr. fielders choice ground out, scoring Michael Pagano, increasing the Griffons lead to seven runs.

Menchaca put the exclamation point on the victory, with a two-run bomb in the fifth, as the Griffons led 10-1. Menchaca’s second blast of the evening, was his MINK League-leading sixth of the season.

“Our guys aren’t chasing balls out of the zone,” said Griffons manager Ryan Mansfield. “With two strikes we’re fighting stuff off.”

Menchaca finished the contest 2-for-5 with six RBIs.

“Noah’s made some adjustments with his swing, trying not to be so compact with everything,” noted Mansfield. “He’s another one whose had a lot better two-strike approach.”

Up next

The Griffons host the Joplin Outlaws in a MINK League South division matchup, with the first pitch slated for tonight at 7 p.m.

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