Getting on base wasn't the issue Monday night for the Jefferson City Renegades. Staying on base, however, was an issue.
The Renegades made three outs on the basepaths and stranded 10 more runners on base in a 6-4 loss to the Chillicothe Mudcats at Vivion Field.
Dede Cole was picked off first base after hitting a leadoff single in the bottom of the first inning. The other two outs came in more crucial moments.
In the sixth, Tommy Reuther's single to center field scored Michael Skinner, closing the Mudcats' lead to 5-4. However, Cole was thrown out trying to advance from first to third base on the hit to end the inning.
"Dede was being a little too aggressive, but I never get too mad about guys getting aggressive," Renegades manager Mike DeMilia said. "But it would have been nice to have Gaven Strobel come up there with him on second and see what happens."
Trailing by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, Jefferson City had the winning run at the plate with Lincoln Orellana and runners on first and second. Orellana drove a 3-2 pitch to deep center field, but Brandan Settles was there to make the catch.
However, Strobel was running on the pitch, and Settles threw the ball into second base to double off Strobel and end the game.
"He was running on the pitch, and I don't mind that," DeMilia said. "He got a great jump. It's unfortunate that's the way things went."
Jefferson City outhit Chillicothe 13-8 and had a runner on base in every inning. The Renegades batted 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position, but they couldn't quite put together a big inning.
"We have times in games where we don't put quality at-bats together," DeMilia said. "To score runs against good teams - and Chillicothe has a really good team with good pitchers - you have to be able to string (quality at-bats) together. We just haven't been doing it very often lately."
Meanwhile, Chillicothe scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning to build a 5-0 lead. With two outs, Settles hit an RBI single and Marcus Gonzalez belted a two-run double into the right-center field gap for the Mudcats.
"They've been doing that all year, and I give them credit," DeMilia said. "They've got a good club."
The Renegades scored twice in the bottom half of the fourth. Myles Ivory hit an RBI single up the middle off Scott Duensing and Skinner followed with an RBI double, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
"The velocity on the pitcher was not up there, so my intention was just to stay to the right side and hopefully catch something that I could handle and put out there to help the team," Ivory said.
Ivory returned to the lineup Sunday after missing more than a week of action with a hamstring injury. He went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles Monday.
Due to his injury, Monday's game was Ivory's last this season with the Renegades. He said he wants to focus on getting healthy when he returns to Harris-Stowe State this upcoming school year.
"This has been the best summer I've had since I've been in college," Ivory said. "Coach DeMilia made it extremely welcoming, my host family made it even better, I got to play with my best friend, Dede Cole, and I could not ask for more."
Jefferson City scored its other two runs in the sixth. Prior to Reuther's RBI single, Cole also singled in the inning, scoring Peyton Leeper.
Chillicothe added an insurance run on a passed ball in the top of the seventh, stretching its lead to 6-4.
Aside from a rough fourth inning, starting pitcher Tyler Robbins was solid for the Renegades, keeping his pitch count low and throwing 86 pitches in six innings.
"Tyler was better tonight than his last outing," DeMilia said of Robbins, who gave up five runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts. "He was definitely around the plate more. He still loses command at times, but he definitely was better."
Lane Threlkeld went 2 innings, finishing with two walks and one strikeout. Shane Fontenot wrapped up the ninth with a pair of ground-ball outs.
Paul Haupt led the Renegades' hitting attack, going 3-for-4 with three singles. Skinner had a single and a double, while Cole and Orellana each had two singles.
Jack Grace was 2-for-3 with a solo home run in the second inning to lead Chillicothe (17-9). Duensing walked two and struck out two in five innings to earn the win.
Jefferson City (14-14, 10-14 MINK League) plays at 7 p.m. today at Joplin (16-14, 10-13), which had its seven-game win streak snapped Monday.
III
Between the second and third innings of Monday's game, the Blair Oaks baseball team stood along the third-base line and was recognized for winning the Class 3 state title in May.
On what was Blair Oaks Night for the Renegades, 12 Falcons received a standing ovation from plenty of Blair Oaks fans in the crowd.
"I think it was a great accomplishment," said DeMilia, who is also the Blair Oaks baseball head coach. "For them to be noticed in front of a lot of Blair Oaks people, that was special. Hopefully it's something that builds on to the experience that they've had."