Lugnuts take 10-9 thriller, Grasshoppers rally

A Golden Plains Realty Lugnut aims his throw for first base while another High Plains Podiatry Clipper passes nearby during Thursday’s Minors Division baseball game at Felling Field. Watch for results.

R.B. Headley

FELLING FIELD – Kalen McCorkle’s dash for home plate paid off for the Golden Plains Realty Lugnuts on Tuesday night as he averted a tag from the opposing catcher and won the game for the Lugnuts.

Golden Plains Realty and the Tigers Muckdogs were tied at 9-9 in the bottom of the fourth inning,

McCorkle hit a soft grounder into the hole between the Muckdogs third baseman and shortstop resulting in a single.

Knowing he was the winning run, McCorkle managed to steal second and third base, setting up the most climatic play of the ballgame.

When a throw from the Muckdogs catcher was mishandled by the pitcher, McCorkle saw an opening and darted for home beating the return throw.

An eruption of celebration occurred in the Lugnuts dugout as the 10-9 victory marked the first win of the season for Golden Plains Realty.

The Tigers Muckdogs controlled the game early. Ethan Schmidt and Ben Fries set up a six-run rally in the second that was capped off by a hard ground ball that Reece Gillespie tucked inside the thirdbase line for a bases-clearing triple.

Seven walks followed by a McCorkle single to centerfield resulted in seven runs and a tie ball game.

Golden Plains Realty is 1-3 overall on the season with an 0-3 league record. The Muckdogs fall to 4-1 overall and remain 4-0 in league play.

Grasshoppers win

Tuesday’s game against the Roberts Farms Grasshoppers was a heartbreaker for the McCook National Bank Rivercats, as they lost the lead late in a 7-2 defeat.

The Roberts Farms Grasshoppers trailed 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning when the Grasshoppers’ Cole Walter singled in two runs to give his team the advantage.

Hits by Evan Merrihew, Reid Loop and Tristan Campbell extended the Roberts Farms rally and led to the Grasshopper comeback win.

Dogs dominate

A dominant performance by the Tigers Muckdogs’ Landon Kmoch was witnessed by fans at Felling Field Tuesday night as Kmoch pitched a two hit shutout in his team’s 6-0 win over the Roberts Farms Grasshoppers.

In a matchup of two teams that were undefeated in league play within the Minors Division, the Muckdogs called on their ace in Kmoch and he did not disappoint as he struck out 13 Grasshopper batters and did not allow a walk.The Muckdogs strung together two rallies in the contest. Kmoch’s first-inning double put the Muckdogs on the board when teammate Carter Hartwell came around to score.

Kmoch then followed up a Hudson Dellevoet single with another double to right-center.