The Jefferson City Renegades could only sit and wait Monday night, wondering if their season was going to continue.
Only one scenario would put the Renegades in the MINK League playoffs.
And it happened.
The Joplin Outlaws swept Monday night's doubleheader against the Nevada Griffons - both wins came in walk-off fashion - and gave Jefferson City the third and final playoff spot in the South Division.
Jefferson City (12-26) plays tonight in the South Division play-in game against Joplin (21-16) at Joe Becker Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Both Jefferson City and Nevada ended the season with the same record. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head, and two teams split their six matchups.
The second tiebreaker is record against division opponents. Jefferson City finished 6-12 against South Division foes, but Nevada was 4-15, giving the tiebreaker to the Renegades.
In Monday's first game of the doubleheader, Joplin won 5-4 in seven innings. Joe Kinder hit a walk-off single to left field with two outs to give the Outlaws the win.
Game 2 went to extra innings. Nevada pitcher Alec Telles went seven strong innings for Nevada, but he started the eighth by allowing a four-pitch walk and a bloop single to put the winning run in scoring position.
The Griffons brought in Rece Martin to relieve Telles. Joplin used a sacrifice bunt to advance runners to second and third. The next batter, Jack Hanstad, singled into right field, scoring Damian Acosta for the winning run.
Nevada ends the season with a seven-game losing streak. Jefferson City enters the playoffs having lost its last eight games.
The winner of tonight's game plays Wednesday against Ozark at Meador Park in the South Division championship.
In the North Division, Sedalia (20-16) plays tonight at Chillicothe (22-14). The winner of that contest plays Wednesday against St. Joseph (29-8) at Phil Welch Stadium for the North Division championship.
The two division champions will play for the MINK League championship in a best-of-3 series starting Thursday.
Jefferson City has made the playoffs in all three years of the program's existence.
The Renegades lost in the play-in game in 2017 to Nevada, then went 1-1 last season in the playoffs, when the Renegades beat Nevada for their first playoff victory but lost the next day to Ozark in the South Division championship game.
The Sedalia Bombers are the defending MINK League champions.