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Clarinda rallies late, knocks off Nevada
By Jason Peake
Daily Mail Sports Editor
NEVADA -- Everything went Clarinda's way in the ninth inning, as the A's rallied to knock off the Nevada Griffons 9-6 on a muggy Wednesday night at Lyons Stadium.
With the win, the A's took two of three from the Griffons.
The rubber game of the series was tied at six entering the ninth, and the A's, using clutch hitting and taking advantage of Nevada's miscues, scored three times to go in front.
The Griffons failed to score in the bottom half.
With the loss, the Griffons have dropped six of their last eight games.
Nevada is now 15-11 in the MINK League, while Clarinda improved to 12-12.
The Griffons once again got going right away in the first inning. Leadoff man Brad Wilson singled off A's starter Jake Hovis and then stole second.
After an out, catcher Tyler Palmer reached on an infield single. Designated hitter Rick Hepworth then lined an RBI single into center, giving the Griffons a 1-0 lead. Hepworth took second on the throw home. Third baseman Patrick Kregeloh then drilled a two-run double down the line in left for a 3-0 Griffons lead.
Clarinda stranded the bases loaded in the second against Griffons lefty Joey Parrack.
But the A's got on the board in the fourth when Kevin Luna hit an RBI double to left, scoring Zack Reding, thus cutting Nevada's lead to 3-1.
Clarinda took advantage of Parrack's control issues in the fifth. After Parrack walked two-straight, he struck out Demarco Poindexter. But Brandon Thomasson flared an RBI single to left.
Parrack then walked Sam Tolleson to load the bases. He was then replaced by fellow southpaw Zach Barr. Barr walked Reding on four-straight pitches and the game was tied at three. Matt Sinclair followed with a sac fly to give Clarinda a 4-3 lead. Barr then got out of the inning.
The sixth inning featured a little bit of everything.
Nevada got a couple of breaks in the sixth. With one on in the top half, Clarinda's Thomasson hit a drive to left. The ball bounced and got hung up in an advertisement banner on the fence before Jesse Solar could get the ball. A run scored, but the umpires huddled up and called the play a ground-rule double, sending the runner back to third, wiping out a run. Barr then struck out Tolleson to end the inning.
The Griffons tied the game in the bottom half when Solar's grounder hit the pitcher, Shane Turner, and scooted away, allowing John Ascenzia to score.
The hosts then got another break in the inning. A routine ground ball, and potential inning-ending double play, was thrown away by Clarinda shortstop Luna, two runs scored and it was 6-4 in favor of the Griffons. Clarinda committed two errors in the wild inning.
The lead didn't hold up.
Clarinda's Thomasson drove in a run in the eighth to make it 6-5. Next, Tolleson's fielder's choice tied the game at six.
The A's took the lead in the top of the ninth.
Griffons relief pitcher Matt Lynch hit Sinclair, and Jarvis Smith pinch ran. After a sac bunt and a ground out, Cody Wright hit a grounder to short.
Burns fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw sailed past first, the go-ahead run scored, and Clarinda led 7-6.
Two hits and a hit batter allowed the A's to score again, giving the visitors an 8-6 cushion.
Tolleson then drove in another run with an infield hit, and it was 9-6. That gave Clarinda five-straight runs and the lead.
Nevada had the tying run at the plate, but failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, as A's closer Justin Page recorded the final two outs for the save.
Chris Thompson got the win and Lynch took the loss.
Hepworth went 3-for-4 for the Griffons, while Wilson and Palmer had two hits apiece.
Notes: Nevada travels to Joplin tonight.
Griffons General Manager Jeff Post said Saturday's date is doubtful.
The team will be home on Sunday night against Joplin. That will be Ice Cream Social Night.
Also, the Chamber of Commerce's Fifth Friday Coffee will be held Friday night at Lyons Stadium, beginning at 8 p.m.
Wednesday's result
A's 9, Griffons 6
CL 000 130 023 -- 9 15 2
NE 300 003 000 -- 6 11 2
WP: Thompson. LP: Lynch. SV: Page.
Griffons pitching
Parrack--4.1IP, 6H, 4ER, 4BB, 5K.
Barr -- 1.2IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 2K.
McDaniel -- 1IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 2K.
Ford -- 1IP, 3H, 2ER, 0BB, 1K.
Lynch -- 0.2IP, 3H, 0ER, 0BB, 0K.
Lytle -- 0.1IP, 0H, K.
Griffons leaders:
Hepworth--3hits.
2B: Kregeloh, Burns. RBI: Wilson, Hepworth, Kregeloh 2, Solar. LOB: 9.
Tuesday's recap
The Griffons pulled out a 3-2 win over the A's on Tuesday night in game two of a doubleheader.
AJ Krist's RBI double in the fifth inning ended up the game-winner for Nevada.
After dropping game one of the twinbill to the A's 6-1, Nevada bounced back in the nightcap.
Wilson singled in the first and then came home on Hepworth's RBI double.
Clarinda touched Griffons starter Chris Mullins for one run in the third and one in the fourth to go up 2-1.
But the Griffons answered back in the bottom half of the fourth. Hepworth singled, Kregeloh and MJ Sartin were retired, but Solar was hit by a pitch. Ascenzia then hit an RBI single to tie the game at two.
One inning later, Krist's clutch hit put the Griffons in front for good.
Wilson tripled to lead off the inning and then Krist hit an RBI double to score Wilson.
Ron Johnson pitched the sixth and seventh to secure the save.
Mullins got the win, allowing four hits and two earned runs in five innings of work. Johnson went two innings, allowing just one hit.
Wilson and Hepworth had two hits apiece for the Griffons.
Krist and Ascenzia had one RBI apiece.
Tuesday's game two
Griffons 3, A's 2
CL 001 100 0 -- 2 5 0
NE 100 110 x -- 3 6 0
WP: Mullins. LP: Ochoa. SV: Johnson.
Griffons pitching
Mullins -- 5IP, 4H, 2ER, 4BB, 4K.
Johnson -- 2IP, 1H, 0R, BB, K.