Undefeated no more: Griffons suffer first loss
Nevada Daily Mail
ST. JOSEPH -- The Nevada Griffons lost for the first time this summer, falling at St. Joseph 5-4 on Thursday night in MINK League action.
The Griffons led 4-3, but the host Mustangs rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to go ahead for good.
Carson Smith earned the win for St. Joe, while Parker McDaniel took the loss for the Griffons.
Brad Wilson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Nevada, while Rick Hepworth, Patrick Kregeloh and Colton Besett added two hits apiece.
The Griffons got on the board in the first inning against the Mustangs and starting pitcher Adam Maddox. John Ascenzia reached on an error, but was thrown out stealing. After Wilson was retired, AJ Krist singled. Hepworth followed with a single of his own. Kregeloh then hit an RBI single.
MJ Sartin added an RBI single of his own, scoring Hepworth for a 2-0 lead.
The Mustangs got a run back in the bottom of the first against Griffons starting pitcher Chris Mullins.
Tanner Lubach had an RBI single for St. Joe.
In the second, Jesse Solar was hit by a pitch to start things off for the Griffons. Solar stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Ascenzia walked and then Wilson hit an RBI single.
Jake Kretzer's RBI double scored Will Mulligan for St. Joe in the bottom half.
The Mustangs added a run in the third when Cory Segui scored on a wild pitch, tying the game at three.
The Griffons went ahead in the fourth. With two outs, Matt Burns singled and scored on Wilson's single.
However, the Griffons would not score again.
Down 4-3, the Mustangs scored twice in the bottom of the seventh against McDaniel.
Kyle Simpson and Mark Robinette both singled to start the inning. An error allowed the runners to move over. After an out, Lubach singled, scoring Simpson and tying the game.
Segui was then hit by a pitch and the bases were loaded.
McDaniel struck out Shane Segovia for the second out. But Spiker Helms drew a walk, Robinette scored and St. Joseph went ahead 5-4.
The Griffons failed to score in the eighth and ninth. Phillip Wilson came in on the mound in the ninth and got the save for the Mustangs.
Nevada got a one-out single from Kregeloh, but Sartin and Besett were retired to end the game.
The Griffons (6-1) are back at St. Joseph on Saturday night. They'll host the Mustangs on Sunday night.
Mustangs 5, Griffons 4
NE 210 100 000 -- 4 13 2
SJ 111 000 20x -- 5 8 2
WP: Smith. LP: McDaniel. SV: Wilson.
Griffons leaders
RBI --Wilson 2, Sartin 1.
Griffons pitching
Mullins -- 3IP, 5H, 3R, 4BB, K.
Lynch -- 3IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 3K.
McDaniel -- 2IP, 2H, 2R, 1BB, 4K.