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Griffons split twinbill with Ozark Generals
The Nevada Griffons split a pair of seven inning contests with the visiting Ozark Generals Friday night at Lyons Stadium.
The turnout for the twinbill was excellent, with 478 fans attending, including 14 families of Griffons players who made the trek to Nevada for Parents Weekend.
The Griffons entered the evening a half-game back of the second-place Generals in the MINK League South standings. With the split, Nevada moves to 11-8 overall (9-8 MINK League). In addition, the Griffons sit 1 1/2 games back of the first-place Joplin Outlaws in the MINK South.
Griffons 4 Generals 1
Griffons starting pitcher Andrew Crum, a southpaw out of Shippensburg University (Pa.), was dominant in the opener, tossing a three-hit complete game.
The contest remained scoreless until the top of the second, when a Jake Shelby sacrifice fly to right field scored Joba Ferrell to hand the Generals a 1-0 lead.
The Griffons tied the game in the bottom of the third courtesy of an Ethaniel Valdez fielders choice ground out, scoring Tanner Wetrich from third base.
The Griffons big inning came in the fifth, as catcher Jake McPhail led things off with a double hammered down the left field line. Wetrich followed, reaching on an infield single. On the play, Ozark shortstop Pete Sitorius air-mailed the throw into right field foul territory, advancing McPhail to third base.
Wetrich was the final batter Ozark starting pitcher Stephen Fischer faced, as he was replaced by relief pitcher Chase Smith.
Later in the inning. with 1-out and runners in scoring position, switch-hitter Kainulu Pitoy pulled a single through the right side of the infield, plating McPhail and Wetrich to give the Griffons a 3-1 advantage.
Still in the fifth, a Tyler Pagano 2-out single rocketed into left field scored Pitoy, putting the Griffons on top 4-1. Pagano entered the game with a .458 batting average with runners in scoring position. In addition, Pagano leads the team with 13 two-out RBIs.
Meanwhile, back on the hill, Crum continued his mastery of Ozark hitters, opening the top of the sixth with strike outs of Garrett Schilling and Jake Lewis, followed by Dylan Skinner flying out to Pitoy in straight-away center field to retire the side.
With the three-run cushion still in place, Crum returned to the mound for the seventh. Crum breezed through the inning, inducing three consecutive ground outs to shut the door on Ozark.
For Nevada in the opener, Pitoy was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored; McPhail 2-for-3 with a run; Valdez 1-for-3 with a run scored and stolen base, his eighth of the season; Wetrich 1-for-3 with two runs; and Pagano 1-for-3 with an RBI.
On the mound, Crum (1-1) earned the victory. The only run scored on Crum was unearned, as he struck out four and walked three over seven innings. Fischer (0-3) was tagged with the loss, allowing three earned runs over four innings.
Generals 3 Griffons 1
Errors proved costly for the Griffons in the nightcap, as they committed four, paving the way for a 3-1 Ozark victory.
Nevada starting pitcher Jarred Scott lasted only two innings, allowing three runs (two earned). Ozark was able to get to Scott early and often, as the left-handed pitcher out of Nicholls State University allowed four hits and issued a walk over the course of the first two innings.
Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Pagano blasted a solo home run off Ozark starter Zach Maskill, his team-leading fourth of the season.
Maskill, who tossed five innings, was relieved in the bottom of the sixth by Craigin Missak. Missak was effective, as pitched two scoreless innings, scattering three hits, while striking out two and walking a batter.
For the Griffons at the plate, Pagano was 2-for-3 with a home run, raising his batting average to a robust .397; Pitoy was 2-for-3, and is now hitting .344.
Scott (1-1) took the loss, while Maskill (3-1) picked up the victory. After tossing two clean innings, Missak was credited with his third save of the season.
Up next
Parents Weekend continues as the Griffons host the Sedalia Bombers tonight at 7 p.m., followed by a Sunday evening contest with the St. Joseph Mustangs, with the first pitch slated for 7 from Lyons Stadium .