By MATT PIKE
The St. Joseph Mustangs celebrated Independence Day with fireworks after the game, but they also put on fireworks during the game, beating the Chillicothe Mudcats 12-5 on Friday night.
The Mudcats got on the board first in the first inning as Northwest Missouri State's Jordi Ventura scored when Max Heintz reached on an error. In the bottom half of the inning the Mustangs tied up the game as Lafayette alum Jayden Little singled to bring home Benton alum Chris Coy. The score tied 1-1, Chillicothe exploded out to the lead with a four run second inning.
Another Mustangs error allowed the Mudcats to break the tie as Tatjuki Yoshekawa scored and Rafael Calcuanyo reached first base. Calcuanyo got all the way to third on another throwing error, after a wild pitch extended the Chillicothe lead when Nishiki Iwai came home to score, then another error allowed Caluanyo to race home, making it 4-1 Mudcats. Jevon Raboy doubled with one out and scored the final run of the top half later in the inning on an RBI single by Heintz. From there, it was all Mustangs.
The Mustangs answered with three runs in the bottom half to cut the Mudcats lead to one. Charles Stevens doubled to drive in Benedictine's Carson Hintz and Atchison alum Boston Bruce. Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall reached on an error, allowing Eden Meyers to score, but Stevens attempting to tie the game would be thrown out at home and St. Joseph left the second trailing 5-4. They did tie things up though in the third inning, Bruce reaching on a fielders choice driving in Carson Schrack.
Knotted up at five, the Mustangs took the lead in the fourth inning as Coy grounded out, driving in Stevens. Then, in the sixth inning, St. Joseph set off the fireworks exploding for five runs. Isiah Kettler singled to drive in Meyers extending the lead, and later scored along with Coy on a two RBI triple from Schrack. An RBI single from Bruce drove in Schrack, and moved Little to second after he walked in the inning. Little came in to score on the very next at bat on an RBI single by Hintz, putting the Mustangs up 11-5.
The final run for the Mustangs came in the eighth inning, an RBI single by Schrack driving in Meyers who scored unearned, after he walked and reached second on a fielding error. Bryson Augustyn, who came on in relief of starter Landon Jaynes, was dominant out of the bullpen earning the win, throwing 5.1 innings and giving up five hits and striking out six while giving up no runs.
At the plate, Meyers was 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI while scoring twice. Bruce was 2-for-5 with two RBI's and a run scored, while Little was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a walk, scoring one run. Schrack was 1-for-3 with a triple and two RBI's, walking twice and scoring three times.
The Mustangs are now 13-12 on the season, 10-11 in the MINK League, and will host the Joplin Jailbirds on Saturday with first pitch at 7pm. The Mustangs fell to Joplin on Thursday 12-8 at Phil Welch.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.