And despite all that offense--every Mudcat scored at least one run and ten different batters had a hit--it might have been the defense that was the story of the game. The 'Cats have now allowed just four runs in the past 21 innings. Again on Wednesday, they did it against a hot offensive team, as the Riverdogs had scored 33 runs in their past two games and were riding a two-game winning streak. But they did not have a runner reach second base until the fifth inning and did not score until the sixth.
At the plate, the All Blacks had one of their most complete efforts in the season, as the win marked the first time this year that the Mudcats scored in every inning. The 22 hits were a season-high for a five-inning performance and the second-most in any game this year--and that's with two of the five offensive innings being limited by the run rule.
Stickers galore were handed out, as there was a backlog from the previous game. Unfortunately for Coach Sean, several Mudcats have already caught on to the idea of earning interest and are regularly compounding interest on their stickers. Unfortunately, Coach Regan became the first Mudcat ever to have a sticker deducted for her flagrant disregard for the baseball gods in the sixth inning (her transgression was so egregious that it cannot be repeated here). As penance, she will have to join the pregame dance party with Asher on Saturday.
With the win, the Mudcats are assured of finishing no worse than second, which means they will open tournament play on either Monday, May 13, against the 8 seed, or on Tuesday, May 14, against the 7 seed. The next game will determine that seeding, as the winner of Saturday's 5 p.m. start against the Bees (4 p.m. pregame) will claim the Minor League regular season title and earn the top seed for the tournament.
Wednesday's Mudcat scoring plays
First inning
It started with the top of the order, which had a phenomenal night, as Brenner, Asher and Gavin combined to go 10-for-10. Brenner led off with a single but was thrown out at second due to Coach Adam making the first of a boatload of mistakes for the game. Asher singled and stayed anchored to first base while ignoring Coach Adam. Gavin doubled, putting runners on second and third for Quenten. His grounder to short scored Asher, and then Luke's hard-hit ball to the right side scored a pair.
Score after one inning: Mudcats 3, Riverdogs 0
Second inning
Brayden roped a leadoff single and moved to second when Channing hustled out a ball up the middle. A fielder's choice put runners at the corners, and then Hayden singled in Brayden. With two outs, the Mudcat offense kicked into gear. Jackson singled in two with a line drive to left and hustled all the way to second. Brenner singled in Jackson. Asher singled to center, putting runners at the corners for Gavin, who doubled in Brenner.
Score after two innings: Mudcats 8, Riverdogs 0
Third inning
Colin led off with an opposite-field single and moved to second on Luke's single. Cameron blasted an RBI double, and Channing recorded a one-out RBI single.
Score after three innings: Mudcats 10, Riverdogs 0
Fourth inning
Jay led off and rumbled all the way to second, flashing great wheels and incredible hustle. Jackson singled to the left side. With runners on first and second, Brenner and Asher ripped back-to-back RBI singles, and Gavin clubbed a two-run single to deep left. Colin's grounder to short scored Gavin and invoked the five-run rule.
Score after four innings: Mudcats 15, Riverdogs 0
Fifth inning
The first four 'Cat hitters reached base, with Luke going all the way to second as the leadoff man, Cameron singling him to third, Brayden driving in a run with a hard-hit single, and Channing smacking a run-scoring single to left. Hayden collected an RBI single and then Brenner finished the game's scoring with a two-run single to center.
Score after five innings: Mudcats 20, Riverdogs 0
Wednesday's Web Gems
- With a runner on first and one out in the top of the first, the most dangerous Riverdogs hitter lined a would-be single to center. But Quenten charged in, scooped it up, and fired a laser to Brenner covering second, who fielded the short hop and stayed on the bag to get the force.
- With a runner on first and one away in the second, Gavin smoothly gobbled up a grounder up the middle, stepped on second, and fired to Asher stretching at first for the inning-ending double play--the Mudcats' third inning-ending double play in the last four innings.
- That play started a stretch of eight straight outs retired by the Mudcat defense, including a series of solid plays all around the infield, featuring two straight good plays by Jackson at pitcher.
- Channing stepped in at pitcher in the fifth and made a nice backhanded stop up the middle.
- Cameron made a nice catch of a fly ball at third base in the sixth inning. The play itself was nice, but what made it even nicer was that Cameron hauled in the fly ball while absorbing a solid form tackle from Channing, who was trying to force a fumble.
| Wednesday's line score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H |
| Riverdogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Mudcats | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | X | 20 | 22 |
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