By MATT PIKE
The St. Joseph Mustangs avenged an Opening Day loss to the Kansas City Monarchs, starting off a three game homestand with a 9-1 win against the same team, evening their season series to 1-1, with one game remaining against the Monarchs on July 23rd.
The Mustangs opened the scoring in the first after Benton alum Chris Coy doubled to leadoff the inning, and with the bases loaded after Atchison alum Boston Bruce walked and Lafayette alum Brayden Luikart was hit by a pitch, later scored as Carter Belton reached on a fielders choice. Leading by just one run, St. Joseph extended the lead in the third inning with two runs, the first on a solo home run by Bruce, and then the other on an RBI double from Lafayette alum Jayden Little, scoring Luikart after he doubled.
Trailing 3-0, the Monarchs scored their lone run in the fifth inning to cut into the lead, but in the sixth inning the Mustangs added two more, a sacrifice fly by Tyler Gundlefinger driving in Belton, and another sacrifice fly from Charles Stevens scoring Eden Meyers. Little extended the lead even more in the seventh inning with another RBI double, again scoring Luikart, after he hit a two out single, giving St. Joseph a 6-1 lead.
With rain falling, the Mustangs tacked on the final three runs in what would turn out to be the final inning, the eighth. Gundlefinger's RBI double scored Meyers for the first run of the frame, before a triple from Stevens brough Gundlefinger home. Stevens later scored on a wild pitch making it 9-1, and with lightning in the area the umpires called the game there for a St. Joseph win, snapping a short two game losing skid.
Little was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI's, while Luikart was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, representing Lafayette. Belton was 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI, and 1-for-3 with a home run, walk, and an RBI. On the mound, Graden Hammond pitched five innings giving up three hits and one run with three walks and three strikeouts. Missouri Western's Seth Winkler threw 2.1 innings of relief, giving up just one hit and striking out one.
The Mustangs are now 3-3 on the season, and remain 1-2 in the MINK League, and stay home tomorrow against the Chillicothe Mudcats with first pitch at 7pm.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.