Throughout this team's four year history, there have been plenty of highlights and many successes. One thing they had never done though was win a summer tournament. That all changed this weekend in Lapeer at the FAAST End of June Classic as the Mudcats rolled to the tournament championship, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 49-9 over four games.
GAME 1
In the opening game of pool play, the Bluewater Blue Jays jumped on top with three runs in the top of the first. The Mudcats came right back though, with a lot of help from the Blue Jays. The bottom of the first saw four singles, two walks, two hit batsmen, three errors, two wild pitches and two passed balls. When all the smoke had cleared, the Mudcats led 7-3 after one.
From there, Justin Pijaszek settled down and took control on the mound, shutting out the Blue Jays over the next couple innings. The Mudcats stretched their lead with a two-out home run by Andrew Morningstar in the second and a two-out, RBI triple by Jacob Jackson in the third, making it 9-3.
The Blue Jays scored one in the fourth, but the Mudcats answered right back in the bottom half. Kyle Genord led off with a double, and scored on Brian Caine's single. Caine would steal second and score on Morningstar's RBI ground out to push the Mudcat lead to 11-4. That's where the score would stay, as Tyler Hitchcock came in to throw two innings of hitless relief, closing out the game with a strikeout.
GAME 2
The Mudcats got right to work against the Macomb Outlaws in the second game of pool play. Brian Caine's first inning triple plated Kyle Genord, and the Mudcats continued their hot hitting with two outs when Jack Scribner singled home Caine to put the Outlaws down two before they even came to the plate.
Max Eaton started on the hill for the Mudcats, and allowed one run in the first on a double, a single, and a sacrifice fly. That was all the Outlaws would get though as Eaton seemed to come up with a big pitch every time he needed it.
Eaton led off the second with a triple. After a dropped third strike, a couple walks, and a couple wild pitches, Brian Caine added a two-run triple of his own with two out, followed by another two-out hit from Andrew Morningstar to make it 7-2. The Mudcats would tack on two more two-out runs in the third, keyed by Justin Pijaszek's RBI single.
With the score 9-2 in the fourth, the floodgates simply opened. The Mudcats piled on twelve runs in the inning, including eight more with two outs. Morningstar (3), Scribner, Jason Caine, Tyler Hitchcock, and Pijaszek all came up with RBIs in the inning, while the first three of that five each had two hits in the frame. Jacob Jackson came on in the bottom of the inning, closing out the game with a strikeout.
GAME 3
Brian Caine took the mound for the Mudcats against the Goodrich Thunder in the tournament semifinals. He started strong with six strikeouts in the first three innings without allowing a run. With one out I n the bottom of the third, Justin Pijaszek walked and went to second on a single by Keagan Titmuss. Both runners advanced on a wild pickoff throw before Kyle Genord plated the game's first run with an RBI single. Titmuss was retired at home when Brian Caine grounded to the pitcher.
In the top of the fourth, Goodrich broke through for two runs, and appeared to have a third, but the scoring runner failed to touch third base and was called out on appeal to end the inning.
Jack Scribner led off the bottom of the fourth with a single. He went to second on a passed ball and to third on a groundout, before scoring on Eaton's single to make it 3-3 after four.
Tim Hayden replaced Brian Caine and set down Goodrich in order in the fifth. With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Titmuss doubled, Genord singled, and Hayden walked to load the bases. Brian Caine bounced into a fielder's choice, with Titmuss retired at home, so with two outs, the game tied, and the bases loaded, Scribner came to the plate. He roped a 1-0 pitch into the right-center gap to clear the bases, and then scored on Jason Caine's single to make it 6-2.
Goodrich scored once in the sixth, but Hayden held them there. Following hits by Hitchcock and Titmuss in the bottom half, the game's time limit was reached and the Mudcats were 6-3 winners.
GAME 4
The top two teams in the tournament paired off in the championship game as the Mudcats faved the Thundersticks. Max Eaton took the mound for the Mudcats and cruised through a 1-2-3 first inning. After the Mudcats also failed to score in the first, the Thundersticks threatened in the second, loading the bases with one out. Eaton induced a pop out to short though, before striking out the next batter to escape trouble.
Thundersticks pitchers would find a different fate in the second. Jason Caine led things off with a single. After one out, Jacob Jackson rocketed a triple over the centerfielder to start the scoring. Tyler Hitchcock laid down a perfect squeeze bunt and beat it out for an RBI single. Keagan Titmuss and Kyle Genord walked to load the bases for Tim Hayden. Hayden hit a soft grounder that the pitcher fielded cleanly but threw away. All three runners scored, Hayden ended at third, and the Mudcats were up 6-0.
Eaton tossed another 1-2-3 inning in the third, and then the Mudcats hit parade continued. Jason Caine led off with a triple, Eaton singled him home, and Jackson's RBI double made it 8-0. Hitchcock walked and a pair of passed balls played Jackson, followed by yet another RBI double by Titmuss to make it 10-0 after three.
In the 4th, the Thundersticks needed to score to fend off a mercy rule defeat, and they managed their only run of the contest.
Needing just one run for a victory, Eaton reached first when he was hit by a pitch. Jackson singled him to third, and Hitchcock drove him home with a line shot to left field to clinch the championship (video at right).
Click below for stats and game info on iScore from each game:
