Mule Baseball vs Dimmitt & Friona (3-31&4-4-2015)

Mule Baseball vs Dimmitt & Friona (3-31&4-4-2015)

The Mules evened their district record at 1-1 Tuesday when the Mules traveled to Dimmitt and defeated the Bobcats 11-6. The Mules notched a second district win Saturday afternoon by stringing together 14 hits and scoring 11 runs to slip past the Friona Chieftains 11-6.

Danny Campos came on in relief at Dimmitt in the bottom of the second inning. Dimmitt scored five runs to tie the Mules at 5-5. The Mule bats came alive in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to extend the Mule lead to 11-6.

The Mules batted around in the top of the second inning with Wes Clarkson beating out an infield hit to lead off the inning. Campos took the count full and fouled off a pitch before drawing a walk. Jason Florez singled to right field to score Clarkson.

Campos came home on a wild pitch and Florez went to third on the play. Grey Johnson lined a ground ball through the hole between third and shortstop to score Florez. Felipe Guerrero sacrificed Johnson home with a ground ball to the shortstop.

The Mules had rallied for five runs to lead Dimmitt 5-1 going into the bottom of the second inning.

Guerrero struck out the first batter he faced in the second inning and gave up a single to left field. The third batter went down swinging. The number nine batter drew a four pitch walk. A double scored two runs and a single added a fourth run.

Campos came on in relief and walked the first batter he faced and an error loaded the bases. Campos threw a fly ball that was tracked down in left field by Cameron Hardwick for the final out. The score was tied at 5-5.

The Mules went in order in the third inning.

Campos gave up a base hit to start the bottom of the third inning but struck out the next three batters on 11 pitches.

The Mules did not score in the top half of the fourth inning.

Campos struck out the leadoff batter but gave up a base hit up the middle to the next batter. Campos walked a batter and hit the next to load the bases with one out. Campos delivered the pitch to Braden Bessire behind the plate.

Bessire fired a strike to Guerrero at third and he tagged out the runner attempting to make it back to third. Campos ended the inning with a strike out.

Pancho Elizalde reached on an error by the second baseman to give the Mules a base runner with one out. Clarkson bunted down the third baseline for a single and moved Elizalde to second base. Elizalde and Clarkson advanced a base on a wild pitch.

Campos’s slow roller to shortstop scored Elizalde on the sacrifice. Campos stole second base and scored on a single by Florez to put the Mules ahead 7-5 after four and a half innings.

Dimmitt walked to lead off the bottom of the bottom of the fifth inning but hit into a double play. Florez sacked up a hard-hit ground ball a short and flipped the ball to Bessire for the force at second. Bessire turned and finished the double play with a perfect throw to Clarkson at first.

The Mules added three runs in the sixth inning with Nathan Rejino leading off with a base hit to left field. Elizalde ripped a ground ball single between the third baseman and third base. Rejino scored on a wild pitch and Elizalde went to second.

Clarkson reached on an error by the third baseman and Elizalde went to third. Clarkson advanced to third with not throw from Dimmitt. Campos sent a fly ball to right field that was caught but Elizalde tagged up and scored.

Clarkson stole third base on the first pitch to Triston Boehning. Boehning blasted a line drive to left-center field to score Clarkson and give the Mules a 10-5 advantage.

Dimmitt score their final run on a fielder’s choice and a double in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the Mule lead to 10-6 with one inning left to play.

The Mules got the run back in the top of the seventh inning. Rejino doubled to center field with two outs. A wild pitch allowed Rejino to advance to third and he scored on an error by the third baseman.

Guerrero tracked down a pop fly in foul territory for the first out of the bottom of the seventh inning. A base hit to center field was followed by a fly ball to left field that was chased down by Hardwick for the second out. Campos got the final out on three straight strikes.

Guerrero recorded four strike outs in the first one and two-thirds innings. Campos finished the game with nine more strike outs. The Mules pushed 11 across on 12 hits and Dimmitt committed four errors.

The Mules allowed six runs on 10 hits, stranded eight Bobcats on the bases and committed two errors.

The Mules never trailed against Friona and rolled up six runs in the first two innings. Friona exploded for five runs in the top of third inning to cut the Mule lead to a single run. But it was just temporary as the Mules got back three runs in the bottom of the third to extend their lead to 9-5

Friona’s final run came in the fourth inning and the Mules added insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings to secure the win.

Dustin Smith started on the hill and went three and two-thirds innings. He was the winning pitcher despite giving up all six Friona runs. He struck out six Chieftains.

Elizalde raced toward the right field line to snag a fly ball for the first Friona out. The second batter popped out to Bessire at second base and Smith struck out the third batter.

Bessire ripped the second pitch he saw down the third baseline for a single and he went to second on a passed ball. Johnson drove a fly ball over the centerfielder for a single that scored Bessire. Johnson was picked off second for the Mules’ first out.

Rejino doubled off the fence in left field. Smith reached on an error when the third baseman over threw first. Rejino scored on thee throw and Smith went to second. The Mules led 2-0 after one inning.

Rejino fielded a ground ball and made the throw to Clarkson at first base. Smith struck out the next two batters to end the Friona half of the second inning.

Clarkson walked to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Guerrero singled and Clarkson moved to second base. A double steal by the Mules put Clarkson on third and Guerrero on second.

Bessire singled up the middle to score Clarkson and Guerrero. Bessire stole second base and moved to third on a passed ball. Johnson swung at strike three and the catcher missed the ball. Johnson beat the throw to first. Johnson then stole second base.

Smith helped his own cause with a single that scored both Bessire and Johnson. The Mules led 6-0 after two innings.

Friona utilized a double, back-to-back singles, a hit batsman, a fielder’s choice, a base on balls and a triple to score five runs in the third inning to cut the Mule lead to 6-5.

The Mules did not seem to blink and Clarkson laid down a perfect bunt for an infield hit to start the bottom of the third inning. Guerrero walked. Clarkson and Guerrero pulled off the double steal to put runners at second and third.

The first baseman did not get his glove on the ground and Florez ground ball slide underneath to score Clarkson. Bessire walked to load the bases and Johnson walked to force Guerrero home. Smith walked to score Florez and the Mule had extended their lead to 9-5.

Friona’s final run came in the fourth inning. A leadoff triple went home on a single. The Mules did not quit on the single. Guerrero made the throw home but no play could be made. Rejino saw the runner going to second and fire a strike from home plate to Bessire for the tag at second base.

Clarkson came on in relief with two on and two out. He got the batter to pop up and Smith made a sliding catch in foul territory for the final out.

Bessire had a leadoff single to start the Mule’s half of the fifth inning. Johnson laid a bunt down the first baseline and Bessire was off and running on the pitch. The pitcher chased down the bunt and flipped it to first. Bessire rounded second by the time the pitcher had reached the ball and continued on to third base.

Smith singled to score Bessire and extend the Mule lead to 10-6.

Elizalde led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single to centerfield. An error on the third baseman allowed Clarkson to reach first and Elizalde scooted to second. Florez singled to right field to score Elizalde and end all scoring.

Friona scored six runs on five hits, left five on base and the Mules committed two errors. The Mules scored 11 runs on 14 hits, stranded nine on base and Friona committed three errors.

The Mules traveled to Shallowater Monday evening and go to Odessa Permian to face the Alpine Bucks Saturday.