ST JOSEPH, Mo. — St. Joe broke a 1-1 tie with four runs scoring in the fourth inning of Game 3 before pushing across four more runs in the sixth, with two more touching the plate in the seventh frame to finish off an 11-1 over Joplin to win the 2022 MINK League Championship Series 2-1 on Saturday at Welch Stadium.
The win for St. Joe is the third straight MINK League title—the first time that has been accomplished in league history—and the eighth league title the Mustangs have captured in its history.
ON THE MOUND
Tyson Hilsabeck started and earned the win for St. Joe after allowing one run on six hits, three walks and four strikeouts in six innings of work. Jay Greco pitched a scoreless relief inning with a pair of strikeouts.
Jack Kelley started and took the loss for Joplin after allowing five runs on six hits, four walks and five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings. Harold Baez allowed four runs on four hits, a walk and a strikeout in two relief innings. Connery O’Donnell and Justin Schrader also saw time in relief.
GAME ACTION
St. Joe took the early momentum in front of the home crowd with a single tally crossing home in the first inning. Noah Bodenhousen led off the game with a double to right field before moving to third on a fly out and scoring on a sacrifice fly to center field by Jack Wagner for a 1-0 lead.
Joplin rallied back in the top of the third inning when Max Bruff doubled down the line to right field with runners on the corners and one out to plate a run to tie the game at 1-1, with the go-ahead run being thrown out at the plate for the second out of the inning.
After the Mustangs stranded the bases loaded in the bottom half of the third, St. Joe struck for four runs in the fourth inning to build a 5-1 advantage. Jack Wagner highlighted the inning with a two-run single for St. Joe.
Wagner was also responsible for most of the damage two innings later, fueling the four-run sixth inning with a three-run home run.
The Mustangs evoked the run rule in the seventh with two more runs touching home off the bat of Wagner, who came up with a two-run single to total a game-high eight RBI.
IN THE BOX
Wagner had three hits and also scored a run to go along with his eight RBI. Bodenhousen had two hits and scored four runs, while Dylan Carry had two hits, scored a run and drove in one for St. Joe.
Caden Bressler and Matt Woodmansee each had two hits to lead Joplin at the plate.
