Mules vs. Littlefield & Dimmitt (4-12&16-2016)

Mules vs. Littlefield & Dimmitt (4-12&16-2016)

The Mules found different was to skin two Cats this past week to improve their season record to 3-3. The Littlefield Wildcats were on a roll Tuesday night on the Mules home diamond and led the Mules 4-1 after two innings.

Bryson Callaway was on the mound for Littlefield and was throwing BBs. He had recorded eight Mule strikeouts through three and one-third innings when the wheels came of for the Cats. The Mules scored 10 runs on 11 walks, two hit batsmen and two hits to halt the game after five innings with a final score of 14-4.

The Mules then traveled to Dimmitt Saturday and had to hang on to defeat the Bobcats 5-4. 

Calloway walked the first two Mules he faced in the bottom of the fourth inning before recording his final strikeout. JoJo Rejino scored on a passed ball and the catcher made a throwing error when he threw the ball over the head of Calloway and into the outfield. Ryan Rodriguez had scooted to third base on the passed ball and steamed home on the error.

The two runs cut the Littlefield lead to 4-3. Calloway then walked Danny Campos and Reese Orozco before the third baseman made an error on Blake Parker’s ground ball. Campos scored on the error. 

Rigo Mendoza took the count full before drawing Calloway’s final walk to load the bases with Mules.

Littlefield changed pitchers but the strike zone continued to eluded the Cats. Keaton Myers drew a four pitch walk to force Orozco home and put the Mules on top to stay at 5-4. Rejino walked to push Parker across the plate.

Rodriguez blasted a triple to left centerfield to score Mendoza, Myers and Rejino. Rodriguez came home on an error by the Cat second basemen on Jason Florez ground ball. The Mules had sent 13 batters to the plate and scored nine runs to put the Mules in front 10-4.

The lead-off Cat grounded out to Campos at shortstop for the first out of the fifth inning. Florez set the next batter down on strikes. An error, a walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases with Cats with two outs. A fly ball to centerfield was tracked down and caught by Bryce Mauricio to end the top of the fifth inning.

Parker was hit by a pitch to give the Mules a base runner with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Mendoza also felt the sting of the baseball when he was hit by a pitch and Myers drew his second walk of the game to load the bases.

Mauricio walked to force Parker home. Rejino faced the third pitcher for the Cats and drew a four pitch walk to force home Mendoza. The fourth and final Cat pitcher entered the game and Rodriguez was called out on strikes.

Flores lined the second pitch he saw down the right field line for a walk off single that scored Myers and Mauricio to stop the game on the run rule.

Campos had started on the mound for the Mules and gave up two runs on a walk and back-to-back doubles before striking out the final two Cats of the first inning.

The Mules got one of the runs back in the bottom of the first inning. Mauricio walked and went to second on a wild pitch by Calloway. A second wild pitch allowed Mauricio to advance to third base. Rodriguez sent a ground ball to second base to sacrifice home Mauricio. The Mules trailed 2-1 after one inning.

A double put a Cat on second base and a throwing error back to the infield allowed the Cat to advance to third base. Campos walked the next batter and a Mule error allowed one run to score.

Florez took the mound in relief and a sacrifice ground ball to second base scored one run but the Mules recorded the first out. A walk put Cats on first and third. The runner on first attempted to steal second base and Moises Vasquez fired a strike to Orozco.

Orozco applied the tag for the second out and came up throwing home to cut down the runner attempting to steal home. Vasquez applied the tag to end the inning. The Mules trailed 4-1 after two complete innings.

The Cats never threatened again as the Mules rolled up 13 runs for the win.

The Mules never trailed the Dimmitt Bobcats Saturday afternoon but the Bobcats did apply tremendous pressure on the Mules in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Mules led Dimmitt 5-3 after five innings of play and neither team could score in the sixth inning. Jacob DeLeon snapped a one out single to left field in the top of the seventh inning and the Mules were looking for some insurance runs.

DeLeon stole second base and went to third base on a wild pitch. A fly ball out and a strike out ended the inning with DeLeon stranded on third base.

Florez gave up an infield base hit to the first Bobcat he faced in the bottom of the seventh inning. He hit the second batter to put runners at first and second. A throwing error allowed the next batter to reach base and loaded the bases.

A ground ball to second base was fielded by Orozco and he stepped on second base for the first out of the inning and a Bobcat crossed the plate to cut the Mule lead to 5-4.

A tap back to the mound was fielded by Florez and he threw home to Vasquez to prevent a run from scoring. The base runner had started home but stopped short of the plate and headed back to third base.

Vasquez ran him down and applied the tag for the second out. The final Bobcat hope went down swinging on three pitches. The Mules had preserved the win.

Mauricio hit a ground ball to the Bobcat shortstop and he bobbled the ball which was just enough time for Mauricio to reach first base. Rejino laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by the pitcher.

Mauricio was running on the pitch, rounded second and went to third base. Rodriguez hit a sacrifice ground ball to the second baseman to score Mauricio. The Mules led 1-0 with the Bobcats coming to the plate in the bottom of the first inning.

The Bobcats scored one run on three base hits in the bottom of the first inning. Neither team scored in the second inning. Mauricio was the beneficiary of a one-out walk in the top of the third inning. Rejino took the count full and walked.

Mauricio and Rejino pulled off a double steal. The Bobcat catcher’s throw to second base was late and Mauricio was able to steal home on the throw to put the Mules ahead 2-1.

Campos continued to find ways to prevent the Bobcats from scoring through the fourth inning. Myers was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the fifth inning. Mauricio drove the ball to the fence in left centerfield for a RBI triple that scored Myers from first base.

Rejino singled to left centerfield to score Mauricio. A double play cleared the Mules off the bases. Florez hit a slow roller by the pitcher and beat it out for an infield hit. Campos scored Florez with a triple to right centerfield. The three run rally ended the Mules scoring with five runs.

The Bobcats got two of the runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to keep the Mule fans jittery.

The Mules final home game was Tuesday when they hosted the Friona Chieftains. The Mules will close out the season on the road in Shallowater Friday, April 22. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM.