By MATT PIKE
In the first matchup between the two teams since last years MINK League Championship series, the St. Joseph Mustangs fell to the Clarinda A's 3-2 with some controversy in the eighth inning.
The A's score first in the second inning as Grant Lokken scored. Clarinda extended the lead in the third when Theodore Anderson reached first on an error by third baseman Tyler Gundelfinger, driving in Cole Baumgart. Anderson later scored on a fielders choice giving the A's a 3-0 lead through the first three innings.
The Mustangs loaded the bases in the sixth inning on a walks to Benton alum Chris Coy and Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart before another Lafayette alum Jayden Little was hit by a pitch. With two outs a wild pitch brought Coy home to score the first run for St. Joseph. In the seventh, the bases were loaded again for the Mustangs on a single by Missouri Western's Seth Winkler, a walk to Charles Stevens, and Coy being hit by a pitch, before Luikart walked to bring home Winkler to make it 3-2 A's at the end of seven innings.
The Mustangs had a chance to tie things up in the eighth inning, which is where things became controversial. Loading the bases for the third straight inning, singles from Gundelfinger and Winkler along with Stevens being hit by a pitch, Missouri Western's Micah Kobuszewski pinch hit for Carter Belton and struck out for the second out. Then, with a full count, Coy was also struck out looking, however the pitch appeared to be a ball and Coy argued the call to no avail. Head coach Johnny Coy also discussed with the umpire between innings.
One runner did reach in the top of the ninth for St. Joseph, but strikeouts by Bishop LeBlond alum Frank Gall and Luikart had given the Mustangs two outs prior to the runner reaching, before pinch hitter Boston Bruce, an Atchison alum, flew out to end the game.
The Mustangs were held to three hits in the game with Winkler going 2-for-4. Gundelfinger had the only other hit going 1-for-4. Luikart was 0-for-2 but walked three times and stole a base, while Gall was 0-for-5 and stole a base, reaching on an error in the fourth inning. On the mound, Wyatt Doak pitched five innings and gave up three runs on two hits with four walks and six strikeouts. Graden Hammond pitched three innings and gave up three hits with one strikeout.
The Mustangs are now 9-7 on the season, 7-6 in MINK League play, and travel to play Joplin tomorrow and on Wednesday.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.