The Catfish Reel.
Your Catfish Baseball News.

JACKSON, TENNESSEE – Saturday, June 21

It wasn’t a “must-win” game but it was pretty close to one for the Cape Catfish if they want to win the first half of the season and guarantee themselves a home playoff game and a spot in the post season.

Saturday night in Jackson Tenn, they took on the 1st place Jackson Rockabillys. The crowd was over 2500 strong and they were rooting hard for their Billys to put away the Catfish for the first half. Ricky Howell, (Wabash College) was getting his first start, 5th appearance for the Catfish. he pitched three solid innings allowing three runs, allearned, on 2 hits. He walked four and struck out one and gave the Fish a chance. he left in the fourth with the Catfish trailing 3-0.

The starter for the Rockabillys, Chase Chamberlain pitched six strong innings and one earned on three hits, striking out four and walking five. He left the game after six innings with the Rockabillys holding. 3-1 lead. That’s all the Catfish needed as theywere able to get to the jackson bullpen as the Rockabillys would use four more arms to try and close out the game.

Larson McMaster (Erskine College), was one of the catfish hero’s out of the bullpen tonight as the big lefty pitched 3 1/3 innings allowing zero runs or hits, two walks and four strike outs in arguably his best outing of the season so far. Then came the eventual winner, Zach Herb (Seton Hill University), who threw 1.2 innings giving up one earned on one hit, two walks. these relievers held Jackson at bay as the Catfish mounted their comeback.

Trailing 4-3 going into the top of the 9th, Kade Smith (harding University) who has been red hot at the plate, led off with a double. After a ground out from Tank Sims(Southeast Mo State) that moved Smith to 3rd, Owen Henne (Seton Hill University) hit another double, tying the game. Matthew Cash (Jacksonville State Univeristy) singled in Henne for the first lead of the night by the Catfish at 5-4. After a pitching change, Isaiah French (Lee University) lied a triple off the right center field wall plating Cash and making it a 6-4 Catfish lead.

In stepped Walked Brodt (Winthrop Univeristy) to close it out for the Catfish. It took him 11 pitches and with the save he became the All-Time Catfish Saves leader with ten career saves in just a little over a season. “Walker is special,” said head coach Gary McClure. “He wants the ball when the lights are the brightest.” The lights don’t ever seem to bright for the 20 year old from Brownsburg Indiana.

As he was congratulated by his teammates, that big Walker grin came across his face as he knew the Catfish were still in the hunt to finish the first half in 1st place. Indeed they do as they will take on these same Rockabillys back in Cape Sunday afternoon at 4:05pm.