The Muckdogs found both incredible highs and lows in their split doubleheader with the Auburn Doubledays on a late Friday night. The Muckdogs took game one in a sixth-innings comeback that gave them a 4-1 win, but dropped the second game of the twin bill in extras, as Auburn walked it off for the 4-3 win.
The first game saw a pair of incredible starts by both teams’ pitchers. Peyton Culbertson went four innings and allowing just one run. Francys Peguero went the same distance into the game, all shutout frames and gave up just three hits.
In the sixth inning of the first seven-inning game, Batavia found their spark to come back. Ricardo Cespedes took what he thought was ball four, and was able to get to second base because Auburn catcher Adalberto Carillo could not get to the baseball right away sitting at the backstop. He did not go right after it because he had thought the pitch hit Cespedes. Doubleday’s manager Jared Head went to discuss, and in the end, Cespedes was sent back to first after ruling that he was hit by the pitch. It didn’t matter all too much because in the next at-bat, Sean Reynolds blasted his 12th home run of the season to get the Muckdogs in front 2-1.
The rally continued with two outs. Davis Bradshaw, the newest Mukckdog outfielder picked up his second hit of the day with a ground ball through the left side hole. He then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Gunnar Schubert walked and took second on that same wild pitch. Both Bradshaw and Schubert would get home on two more wild pitches from Colin Morse to put Batavia in front 4-1.
Jameson McGrane and Zach Wolf came in to finish the final three innings of game one. They were both locked in, not allowing a run to score, winning just the second game of the season against the Doubledays.
Game two did not fare as well for the Muckdogs. It was another low-scoring game that did not see runs until the seventh inning. Again, the starters Bryce Howe and Angell Guillen held their opposition scoreless in their starts. Dylan Cyphert was able to lock down the Doubledays as well, setting up for Batavia to take the lead and the win in the last inning.
Angel Guillen, on the other side, went six shutout innings in his second spot start of the season. However, Tanner Driskill could not be as dominant.
The first runs of the game came from Batavia’s bats. Bubba Hollins notched his second single of the day for Batavia with one out in the top of the seventh. That brought Michael Donadio to the dish. He clubbed a monster home run over the right field wall to give the Muckdogs the lead, plus an insurance run.
The bottom of the seventh did not go as well. Elkin Alcala came on looking for his fifth save of the season. He allowed the first four batters to reach base, partially due in part to an error from Alcala trying to start a double play at second base. Jose Sanchez hit a line drive single up the middle to score the tying run. He would make his way to third as the winning run, but Alcala did get out of the jam by striking out Israel Pineda.
In extra innings, where the Muckdogs are now 2-3 on the season, Gerardo Nunez reached base on his fielder’s choice bunt, that set up Brayan Hernandez to drive in Pablo Garcia to put the Muckdogs back in front 3-2. Batavia loaded the bases later in the inning after a Sean Reynolds walk, but could not cash in, which proved to be costly.
The bottom of the eighth did not see a single out recorded for Batavia. Pablo O’Connor was swinging to start off the inning, and a ground ball that skipped off of Nunez’ glove put runners on the corners with no outs. Jamori Blash drove in the tying run, putting the winning run on second base. Carson Shaddy drew a walk to load the bases, still with no outs. It felt more of a matter of when, not if, the Doubledays would score that run. Justin Connell had the answer: a four-pitch walk to walk it off for the Doubledays, and win 4-3.
The second day and third game of the series pickup with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch in Auburn. The final game of the series comes Sunday, before Batavia heads back to West Virginia for a three-game set with the Black Bears.
