Outlaws fall 7-2 to Mustangs
Jul. 10—The St. Joseph Mustangs jumped out to a 5-0 lead en route to a 7-2 win over the Joplin Outlaws in MINK League action on Saturday night in St. Joseph, Missouri.
The Outlaws, positioned in second in the South Division standings, slipped to 14-18 on the season while the North-leading Mustangs improved to 24-9.
St. Joseph jumped out to a five-run advantage — plating two runs in the first inning, two in the second and then one in the fifth — before the Outlaws got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth with a pair of runs on three hits.
A Joe Ricchio RBI double broke the scoring lull for the Outlaws before Sam Fagan logged an RBI groundout to make it a 5-2 ballgame.
The Mustangs responded with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the sixth to bring the game to its eventual final score.
Matt Campbell led Joplin at the plate, going 3 for 4 with one run scored. Ricchio and Liam Bailey recorded two hits apiece, while Caden Bressler, Garrett Chun, Michael Long and Tyler Davis added one hit apiece.
Michael Paule paced the St. Joseph offense with three hits in five plate appearances, recording two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored. Brady Holden went 3 for 4 with two runs scored, and Dylan Carey went 2 for 4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
Edrian Rangel was charged with the loss after surrendering five earned runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Cameron Hill allowed two earned runs and two hits in one inning of relief, while Connery O'Donnell tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
St. Joseph's Max Spittzmiller picked up the win after holding Joplin to no runs and six hits while striking out four batters in four innings of work. Jay Greco, Tanner Lukowski, Jack Wells and Wyatt Hardy each tossed in relief for the Mustangs.
Following the MINK League all-star game on Sunday in Clarinda, Iowa, the Outlaws will be back in action on Tuesday to play host to the Chillicothe Mudcats at 7 p.m. inside Joe Becker Stadium.
