The Chillicothe Mudcats had a successful return to action after three days off, playing a home doubleheader on Friday night against the Joplin Outlaws. In their previous encounter, the Mudcats had won two games on the road against the Outlaws. The Mudcats took the sweeep, winning the first game by a score of 10-8 and shutting out the Outlaws 4-0 in the second game.
In the first game, right-handed pitcher Bailey Quint started for the Mudcats and pitched four quality innings. He allowed four runs on four walks and seven hits. Fortunately, the offense had already provided substantial run support with ten runs in the first three innings. In the second game, right-handed pitcher Justice Ramirez delivered an outstanding performance, pitching six shutout innings and striking out six batters.
The Mudcats’ offense played a crucial role in both games. In the first game, they scored six runs in the second inning and four runs in the third inning. The shaky command of Joplin’s pitchers contributed to eleven Mudcats batters coming to the plate in the second inning. Outfielder Kodai Yaoita played a significant part in the offense, hitting a bases-clearing double in the third inning to drive in three runs. Yaoita continued his impressive performance in the second game, adding three more RBIs, bringing his total to six for the night.
With these victories, the Mudcats achieved a winning record for the first time since 2019, standing at 17-15 and two games behind the Clarinda team in the North Division, currently in third place.
The next game for the Chillicothe Mudcats is an exhibition game scheduled for Saturday night against the US Military Wardogs. The game will begin at 7:05 PM.
