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O’FALLON, MO (June 10) – It was “Brody Chrisman Night” in O’Fallon Saturday as the Catfish left fielder from Purdue crushed three home runs — including his second grand slam of the week — and drove in 10 runs to help the Catfish overwhelm the Hoots 17-6 and extend their season-opening winning streak to nine.

As they’ve done in each of their previous eight games, the Catfish got on the scoreboard first Saturday night when center fielder Chris Hall from Lincoln Memorial University led off the game with a walk and scored when shortstop Justin Carinci from Mineral Area College smacked his third double of the season and Chrisman singled for RBI number one.

O’Fallon briefly led when the Hoots scored twice in the second when shortstop Maloy Heaghney from Missouri State doubled off the right field wall driving in a pair of runs.

Cape answered in the third when Carinci led off with a single and Chrisman followed with a round-tripper into the right field bleachers, giving the Catfish a 3-2 edge, and in the fourth, with the bases loaded, he drew a walk to force in Cape’s fourth run of the game.

The Catfish poured it on in the fifth inning when a double by Cape first baseman Caden Bogenpohl (Missouri State) doubled to right center driving in second baseman Jude Putz (Florida State University), a bases-loaded walk forced in another run, and then Chrisman sent one over the right field wall for his grand slam and RBIs five, six, seven and eight.

O’Fallon picked up a run in the bottom of the fifth when designated hitter Chase Beattie (St. Louis University) hit a solo home run, his second homer of the season, but in the top of the seventh the Catfish tacked on three more runs when Chrisman was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded (his ninth RBI), the next batter, designated hitter Lane Crowden (Southern Indiana) was also hit by a pitch, and Putz tacked on an RBI with a bases-loaded infield out.

The Hoots plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh, making the score 13-6.

There was no scoring in the eighth, but in the ninth….Chrisman led off…and blasted his third home run of the night, a solo shot over the wall in left center field.

The Catfish added three more tallies in the ninth on an RBI single by third baseman Quinton Borders from Crowder College and a single by right fielder Jeff Clarke (Belmont) that drove in a pair of Fish.

For the night, Chrisman went 4-for-4 with a single and three homers along with a bases-loaded walk and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. With his perfect night at the plate, Chrisman boosted his batting average from .469 to .528, but that still ranks second in the Prospect League to his teammate, Hall, who has a lofty .622 batting average (23 for 37). However, Chrisman’s three-dinger, 10 RBI night put him atop the league with five home runs and 25 runs batted in.

Asked after the game if he ever had 10 RBI in a game at any level Chrisman smiled and said, “I’m not 100 percent sure, but I don’t think so. I’m just trying to go out there and enjoy the game and do what I can to help the team.”

Cape finished the game with 17 runs on 17 hits while committing three errors. O’Fallon scored six runs on eight hits and had one error.

Winning pitcher for the Catfish was Dylan Peck (Florida State College at Jacksonville) who pitched four-and-a-third innings, allowing three hits and one O’Fallon run, improving his record to 2-0. The losing pitcher was O’Fallon’s starter, Matt Haley (Lindenwood University) who allowed eight hits and four runs in his four innings of work. He is now 0-2 on the season.

With their 17 runs Saturday night, the Catfish have now scored 110 runs in their first nine games, an average of more than 12 runs a game.

The Catfish are back in action Sunday taking on the Thrillville Thrillbillies in Marion, Illinois. Game time is 6:18 p.m.