Grand Rapids Tournament Trip

 

The Mudcats had a fun, albeit abbreviated trip to Grand Rapids to play in the GameDay USA National Championships. Despite having a five game guarantee, unfortunately we only got to actually hit the field three times!

We won our first game (Thursday morning at 10am) when the other team failed to show up. So instead of playing, we practiced and then grabbed a bite to eat, before heading back to the hotel for some relaxation!

Game two was on Friday and the Mudcats were dominant in a 12-1 victory over the Lakeshore Storm. Tim Hayden hit a clutch, two-out, bases loaded triple, while Brian Caine went the distance on the mound while going 3-3 at the plate.

The Mudcats had a pair of games scheduled for Saturday. The first one was a very disappointing 11-0 loss to the Livonia Patriots in a game where absolutely nothing went right. The Mudcats showed a lot of resilience later in the day in a contest with Flames O'Dette. Trailing 5-3 in the 7th, the Mudcats rallied to tie the game, capped by a two-out RBI double by Kyle Genord. Flames O'Dette scored in the bottom half to pull out the victory, but the Mudcats still managed to qualify for the gold championship bracket of the tournament.

Unfortunately, Sunday's games were all washed out by rain. It was still a memorable weekend for the team with great baseball, time in the pool, a trip to see the minor league West Michigan Whitecaps host the Peoria Chiefs, go-kart rides, and a whole lot of fun!

Game 1 vs. Team Combat Indiana (forfeit win)

Game 2 vs. Lakeshore Storm

Game 3 vs. Livonia Patriots

Game 4 vs. Flames O'Dette

Mudcats top Kearsley in walk-off fashion

Monday was a beautiful night in Grand Blanc, fitting for the Mudcats' final home game of the season. The home squad seemed to have things under control early Monday night, jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first. Jacob Jackson singled to lead things off. He stole second, and then, with two outs in the inning, Brian Caine drove him in to put the Mudcats on top.

In the second inning, the Mudcats tacked on three more to push the lead to 4-0. The first two scored on bases loaded walks to Justin Pijaszek and Jackson, then Tim Hayden drove in another two out run with a single.

Meanhile, Pijaszek struck out the first batter of the night on three pitches (video 1 below), and needed just 39 pitches to complete three no-hit innings on the mound. Knowing that he would pitch again the next night, he was removed from the game headed into the fourth.

Tim Hayden entered the game to pitch and was able to hold Kearsley scoreless in the fourth with the aid of a double play (video 2 below). The Mudcats tacked on another run when Max Eaton was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on Pijaszek's two-out RBI single to give the Mudcats a commanding 5-0 lead.

In the fifth, Kearsley mounted a comeback. Three singles, two walks, and two hit batsmen led to five runs. Kyle Genord, who entered mid-inning, was able to induce outs from the final two batters, but not before the score stood tied at five.

 

The Mudcats were unable to break through in the fifth or the sixth, but Brian Caine pitched two shutout innings to set the stage for the Mudcats' walk-off win. Genord and Pijaszek reached base to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Coaches called on Tyler Hitchcock to move the runners over with a sacrifice bunt, but he laid down such a perfect bunt that he beat it out for a hit to load the bases with nobody out. Jackson then lifted a 1-1 pitch to right-center, deep enough to bring home Genord as the winning run (video 3 below).

The Mudcats are now 16-10 on the season as they close out league play with a doubleheader Tuesday at Carman-Ainsworth High School against the Great Lakes Cyclones.

Click here to view stats and game info on iScore.

Mudcats split two with Skyhawks

The Michigan Mudcats split a doubleheader with the Buick City Skyhawks, losing the first game 12-4, but rebounding to win the nightcap 18-4. More details to follow.


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Game 1
Game 2

Mudcats drop pair to Grossi

More details to follow.

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Game 1
Game 2

Mudcats win first game in Grand Blanc Tournament; then lose two extra inning contests

More details to follow.

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Game 1 vs. Genesee Gators
Game 2 vs. Baseball Heaven Angels
Game 3 vs. Oakland Indians

Michigan Mudcats 9 - Tri-City Lightning 3 (game 2)

In game two of their twin-bill with the Lightning, the Mudcats once again jumped on top early. With one out, Tim Hayden was hit by a pitch. After a second out, he advanced to second on a wild pitch, and then scored on Jack Scribner's single to make it 1-0.

In the second inning, Max Eaton and Tyler Hitchcock walked to start off the inning, both eventually scoring on a two-out error. In the third, a pair of two out singles by Scribner and Jason Caine led to a run when Caine stole second and Scribner scored on the ensuing wild throw. Two more runs scored when Eaton, Hitchcock, Jacob Jackson and Justin Pijaszek all walked, making it 6-0. The Mudcats added another run in the fourth when Kyle Genord singled, stole second, and scored on an error.

Eaton was very sharp on the mound, pitching three innings of shutout ball before yielding to Keagan Titmuss out of the pen. His defense did not help him as a couple errors led to three unearned runs in his first inning of work. With the score 7-3 in the fifth and the Lightning threatening to pull closer, Jacob Rau hit what looked to be a sure RBI single, only to be robbed by Hitchcock's diving stab of the liner to end the threat.

In the 6th, Titmuss doubled to lead off. After an out, Hayden was hit once more and then Brian Caine hit what looked like it might be a double play. He hustled down the line though and beat the throw to first, reaching on a fielder's choice. After Caine stole second, Scribner atoned for some earlier fielding miscues with a booming triple over the right fielder's head to score two runs and make it 9-3.

Titmuss closed things out from there, striking out the side in a one-two-three bottom of the sixth to secure the win. The victory pushed the Mudcats' record on the season to 13-5, including a 5-3 record in the GFBL.

Click here to view stats and game info on iScore.

Michigan Mudcats 9 - Tri-City Lightning 0 (game 1)

In the first of two against the Tri-City Lightning, the Mudcats hoped to get off to a good start. They did just that, as in the top of the first, Brian Caine set the Lightning down in order. The Mudcat offense then went right to work, with singles by Kyle Genord and Tim Hayden, followed by RBI singles by Brian Caine and Jack Scribner. Jason Caine lined to short and Max Eaton walked, followed by Tyler Hitchcock's RBI fielder's choice. A walk to Jacob Jackson loaded the bases with two out for Justin Pijaszek, who doubled over the center fielder to clear the bases and make it 6-0.

After another one-two-three inning from Brian Caine, Genord led the second off with a walk, followed by another Hayden single. Brian Caine's RBI single made it 7-0 with runners on first and second with nobody out. Scribner grounded into a fielder's choice, retiring Caine at second, but Hayden never broke stride and came all the way around to score. Jason Caine then tripled home Scribner to make it 9-0 after two.

Brian Caine pitched another shutout inning, allowing just one hit, before giving way to Hitchcock, who would strike out four and allow just two hits, as the Mudcats cruised to a 9-0 win.

Click here to view stats and game info on iScore.
 

Mudcats split doubleheader with Goodrich Thunder

GAME 1

The Mudcats got off to a rough start, allowing four runs in the first inning. After that, starting pitcher Justin Pijaszek settled in and pitched very well over the next few innings. The Mudcats chipped away, scoring on an error in the first, and on a pair of RBI singles by Keagan Titmuss in the second and fourth.

The Mudcats could get no closer though as Goodrich tacked on two in the fifth and two more in the seventh. The Mudcats added a run of their own in the seventh to close out the scoring at 8-4

GAME 2

After losing the opener, the Mudcats were sitting on a three game losing streak and needed to come out hot to change the momentum. They did just that.

Kyle Genord led off the first with a double, followed by a Keagan Titmuss single. Brian Caine reached on an error that scored one, and Drew Morningstar tripled in two. Jack Scribner drove in a run with an infield hit and went to third on Jason Caine's hit and run single to right. Morningstar served as a courtesy runner for Jason Caine, and stole 2nd base, with Scribner scoring when the throw was wild for another error. Max Eaton walked and Goodrich brought in a new pitcher with the score 5-0. Mudcat bats went silent from there, not scoring again until the fifth, but the damage was already done.

On the mound for the Mudcats, Tim Hayden worked in and out of trouble all night long. Over the first five innings, he allowed two hits, five walks, and one hit batsman. Every time Goodrich threatened though, Hayden and the Mudcats defense came through.

Goodrich finally scored one unearned run in the sixth, but with the bases loaded, Hayden got the final two outs, to close out the 6-1 victory with a complete game win.

Click below for stats and game info on iScore from each game:

Game 1 (lost 8-4)
Game 2 (won 6-1)