Mudcats strike early, take two of three from Griffons

Friday, July 12, 2019
Nevada Griffons' hurler Brayland Skinner delivers during a late-June home contest at Lyons Stadium. Skinner was lights out on the mound Thursday night against Chillicothe, notching his first save of the 2019 campaign.
Matt Resnick | Daily Mail

After the Griffons dropped Tuesday's opener of their three-game MINK League road-set with the Chillicothe Mudcats the teams returned to the diamond Wednesday, with the Mudcats prevailing, 8-5.

The Griffons averted a Chilicothe sweep with Thursday's 6-2 victory.

Thursday's victory pulls Nevada (10-17) to within a half-game of third-place Jefferson City in the South division.

Mudcats 8, Griffons 5

Blaine Ray, who has been a major thorn in the Griffons' side this season, got the party started in Wednesday's contest with a first inning RBI double, handing the Mudcats a 1-0 advantage.

The second inning spelled trouble for the Griffons, as Chillicothe's four-run frame was punctuated by run-scoring singles off the bats of Ray and Nolan Metcalf, for a 5-0 Mudcat lead.

Chillicothe scratched across a run in the third as Brady Welch came around to score on Hunter Johnson's extra-base hit.

In the fourth Creighton University slugger Jack Grace muscled a Brandin Hallier offering over the wall. The two-run opposite field blast put the Mudcats on top, 8-0.

Nevada struck back in the fifth, slicing the deficit in half. The damage was done by Brayland Skinner and Dom Hernandez, as the Griffs' two and three-hole hitters both drove in two runs apiece in the frame.

Staked to an eight-run cushion entering the inning, Chillicothe starting pitcher Jake Gill was knocked from the contest.

A seventh inning infield error resulted in the Griffons pushing across a run, accounting for the final 8-5 margin.

After going down in order in the eighth, Nevada threatened in the ninth, as Clint Allen and Skinner opened the inning with back-to-back singles.

Sporting a pristine 0.79 ERA, Chillicothe closer Jack McNellis was brought in to douse the inherited fire. McNellis did just that, fanning the Griffons' three, four, and five hitters, slamming the door shut with authority.

It was a routing for Nevada starter Brandin Hallier (0-2), as the Odessa (Mo.) product was touched up for 14 hits and eight runs (six earned) while striking out two and walking a pair across seven frames of work.

Working three innings of middle-relief, Chillicothe's Garrett West (2-1) notched the pitching victory. McNellis, who has been blistering hot on the hill, notched his fourth save in his last four appearances, and a MINK League leading sixth of the season. McNellis also boasts a sparkling 18/0 strikeout to walk ratio through 11 innings of work.

At the dish for Nevada both Skinner and Hernandez concluded 2-for-5, with two RBI and a run scored. Hernandez is currently fourth in the MINK League, with 27 RBI.

Griffons 6, Mudcats 2

Joel Ballard delivered just what the doctor ordered for the Griffons — a solid performance from a starting pitcher.

Ballard yielded just one earned run over five strong innings, while striking out four and walking three.

In the second Chris O' Neal's two-run homer put the Griffons up, 2-1. After reaching on a one-out triple in the third, Allen was plated on Skinner's sacrifice fly to right for a 3-1 Griffs' lead.

An error in the bottom of the seventh resulted in the Mudcats pushing across a run, and trimming the deficit to 3-2.

The Griffons broke the contest open with a three-run eighth, as Ian Jacobs' bases-loaded two-RBI base knock, and Eli Harrison's RBI-single, increased Nevada's advantage to four.

In a long-relief appearance that extended back to the sixth inning, Skinner closed out the deal.

Ballard (1-2) collected the pitching victory, while southpaw Skinner allowed just one run (unearned) and two hits, while striking out three and walking none over four frames of work — en route to his first save of the campaign.

At the plate O'Neal and Jacobs drove in two runs apiece.

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