The Jefferson City Renegades were ready to put Saturday night's game in the past as soon as it was done.
"There's not much you can do," Renegades shortstop Tanner Wetrich said after a 12-6 loss to the Chillicothe Mudcats in MINK League action at Vivion Field. "They hit the ball, you have to give them credit.
"When they do that, there's not much you can do."
It was a tough night for five Renegades pitchers. The Mudcats finished with 16 hits and drew 12 walks as eight Chillicothe hitters had six at-bats in the game.
"Walks, giving up that many hits, it's tough to win that way," Renegades manager Mike DeMilia said.
Chillicothe scored a run in the top of the first inning without the benefit of a hit. It took just two batters for Jefferson City to take the lead in the bottom of the inning.
Hunter Swift let off with a single before Wetrich drilled 1-2 pitch off the shed in left-center.
"Breaking ball, middle of the plate," Wetrich said. "I just shortened my swing a little bit and he hung one."
It was the second home run in three games this season for Wetrich, a Moberly High School graduate who has played collegiately at William Woods and Mineral Area Community College.
"He's a very good player who was overlooked in high school," DeMilia said. "He's as good a defensive shortstop outside of the professionals in the state of Missouri, I truly believe that. The knock on him is his hitting, but he's shown he can swing the bat."
Wetrich came close to adding another homer in the second inning. The Renegades had the bases loaded with two outs when Wetrich sent the Mudcats centerfielder to the warning track for a long fly ball.
"Off the bat, I thought I had it," Wetrich said. "But it was to the deepest part of the ballpark."
Wetrich has signed to play at Iowa.
"I can't wait," Wetrich said. "Out of high school, I wanted to play D-I ball, but I didn't get the offers."
Chillicothe regained the lead with five runs on four hits and three walks in the third. The Mudcats then added a run in the fifth to make it 7-2 before breaking the game open with four runs in the seventh.
The Renegades got one of those runs in back in the bottom of the seventh when Wetrich singed home Avery Jennings to make it 11-3.
Chillicothe got its final run in the top of the ninth. Jefferson City then drew six straight walks to start the bottom of the ninth to make the final 12-6.
The Renegades (2-1) and Mudcats (1-1) will wrap up their two-game series tonight. Adam Grunden, a Jefferson City High School graduate, will get the start for the Renegades.
It will be his second appearance of the season. Grunden got the save in the Renegades' 5-4 season-opener last Wednesday at Sedalia.
"We put him in a tough spot and he got out of it," DeMilia said.
Game time is 6 p.m.
The Renegades will then be on the road until Monday, June 12.