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Griffons undone by errors in MINK League title game
Nevada Daily Mail
A valiant comeback came up short as the Nevada Griffons season concluded with a 10-7 loss to the St. Joseph Mustangs in the MINK League championship game.
The Griffons end their season at 27-16 overall and 24-16 in MINK League play.
The Friday night contest in St. Joseph pitted the division winners of the MINK League north and south.
After falling behind 7-1 in the bottom of the fourth, Nevada struck back with two runs in the top of the fifth inning, followed by four runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game.
Nevada however, was undone by errors. A critical throwing error by Griffons second baseman Seth Sims during a rundown in the bottom of the seventh, allowed the go-ahead run to cross home plate, as the Mustangs went on top 8-7 and never looked back. Sims error was one of five on the night committed by Nevada.
The Griffons were faced with the unenviable task of matching up against Mustangs ace Dixon Marble. Marble had been dominant in three previous appearances against Nevada this season ---- with a 3-0 record and microscopic 0.44 earned run average.
After reaching first base courtesy of an infield error in the top of the first, Griffons third baseman Kurt Becker would later come around to score courtesy of a Dusty Wright single into shallow right field.
The Griffons early l-0 lead could have been more, but a Taylor Walker ground out brought the inning to a close, stranding runners in scoring position.
Still holding a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third, Griffons starting pitcher Josh Green allowed a lead off single to Jerry Houston followed by a walk of Mustangs shortstop Jackson Schnurbusch. After an Orencio Fisher fly out for the inning's first out ---- an error committed by Cole Johnson at first base on a grounder by Jacob Richardson, allowed Houston to score.
With the score 1-1, St. Joseph designated hitter Ramsey Scott, who has feasted on Nevada pitching all season, connected for a two-RBI single into right field, plating Schnurbusch and Richardson as the Mustangs went on top 3-1.
Green started out shaky in the bottom of the fourth, issuing back-to-back walks to Scott Braren and Francisco Alvarez. After a Houston pop-out bunt to the catcher, things began to fall apart for Nevada. A one-out Green wild pitch scored Braren from third while moving up Alvarez from second to third, as the Mustangs grabbed a 4-1 lead.
With two outs in the inning, Green was replaced on the mound by Tyler Fallwell, who entered the game with an 0-2 record and 5.59 ERA. Facing his first batter of the night, Fisher belted a Fallwell offering off the left field wall, plating Alvarez and Schnurbusch, as the Mustangs lead swelled to 6-1. A Trent Hill double into left field scored Fisher from second, as St. Joseph led 7-1.
In the top of the fifth, the Griffons finally had a breakthrough against Marble.
Griffons catcher Chris Kobar led off the inning with a single. A one-out double down the right field line off the bat of Tyler Bodenstab put runners in scoring position.
After a Becker strikeout for the innings second out. Nevada cleanup hitter Cody Farrell singled to left field, scoring Kobar and Bodenstab to trim the deficit to 7-3.
Nevada knocked Marble out of the game with five consecutive hits to open the top of the sixth. Farrell was responsible for two runs batted in during the Griffons four-run inning, as a line-drive single to center field scored Tyler Bodenstab and Cody Roose.
With the game tied 7-7 entering the bottom of the seventh, an error on Sims allowing Anthony Masselli to score from second base, a Schnurbusch double, scoring Houston, plus another error allowing a Mustang to score, put St. Joseph on top for good at 10-7.
For Nevada, Farrell was 3-for-4 with two RBIs, finishing the season with a .456 batting average.