Catfish win the South Division for the 1st half with a shutout victory over the Rockabillys
Cape Girardeau, MO – Friday June 27 – Reagan Howe
The crowd was rowdy at Capaha on Friday night and the players were hungry for a win. Not only would a win solidify the Fish’s first place standing for the first half of the prospect league season, but it would also assure them a playoff spot and home field advantage in early August.
The game was close for the first five innings but eventually the Fish were able to pull away, eventually tossing a 10-0 shutout win over the Jackson Rockabillys. The ball got rolling in the bottom of the first when Kade Smith (Little Rock University) singled on the first at bat, advanced to third on a fielder’s choice, and stole home to put Cape on the board 1-0.
In the bottom of the fourth inning the Catfish scored their second run of the night when Brett Vondohlen (Middle Tennessee State University) hit a sacrifice fly to shallow right field to bring home Owen Henne (Seton Hill University) to make it 2-0 after four. The following inning Smith had an RBI double and Cooper Newsom (Harding University) had a RBI single to make it 4-0 Catfish after five. That’s when the Rockabillys went to a depleted bullpen and the Catfish would feast the rest of the way.
The Fish broke it open in the sixth with three stolen bases and a couple wild pitches. Nathan Bowie (Harding University) also tripled in the inning and the lead grew to 7-0 after six. The fans and players were smelling victory.
In the seventh, the Catfish bullpen threw up another zero and the offense was going to end this one early. Five players hit singles and they kept the lineup moving with Caleb Champion (Southeast Missouri State University) and Newsome both driving in runs. Caleb Niehaus (Indiana State University) joined in the fun with a pinch hit single off the bench and he’d cross home plate with the tenth run and the celebration began!
On the mound Catfish pitcher Ricky Howell (Wabash Valley College) in his 3rd start threw 4.1 innings and struck out 5 batters. He worked around traffic all night but made some big pitches when he needed to. Larson McMaster (Erskine College) pitched another two innings and struck out four batters, three looking. Zach Herb (Seton Hill) finished the game and struck out one to secure the shutout.
The first half champs of the South Division are right back at it as they host the Thrillbillies Saturday. “The pressure is off a little now,” said head coach Gary McClure. “We can breath a little and get guys some rest and be ready for the second half of the season in July.”
But tonight, the Catfish and their fans celebrate a hard fought first half clincher as well as celebrating everyone’s favorite mascot Captain Catfish’s birthday.