The St. Joseph Mustangs won two extra-inning games at Clarinda Wednesday night.
St. Joe’s summer college baseball team completed the suspended game they had with the A’s from June 26 first and picked up a 2-1 win in 11 innings. They followed that up with a 5-4 victory over Clarinda in 14 innings as they’ve now won four in-a-row and seven of their last eight.
With those two wins, the Mustangs have clinched home field advantage for their three-game championship series against the South Division champion. That series will begin a week from Friday.
The first game Wednesday began in the top of the eighth inning with the score tied 1-1 after weather forced the game to be suspended on June 26. It was a pitcher dual between St. Joe’s Kyle Jackson and Clarinda’s Justin White as neither pitcher allowed a base hit until the 11th inning.
White retired 11 straight batter after the game resumed but Kris Koerper hit a double with two outs and Mark Robinette followed with another two-out double to scored pinch runner Shane Segovia and the Mustangs took the lead.
Kyle Jackson (5-0) struck out three and walked one to earn the win and Doug Shields worked the 11th inning for his eighth save of the season.
In game two, St. Joseph fell behind 3-0 after just two innings before getting a sac fly by Jordan Guida to scored Brent Seifert in the fourth inning.
The score remained 3-1 until the eighth when the A’s added one insurance run to take a three-run lead into the ninth inning.
Brock Chaffin doubled to left to start the Mustangs rally in the ninth. Jordan Guida singled, Kris Koerper struck out for the first out and then Segovia singled home Chaffin to make it 4-2.
Clarinda pitcher Justin Page then committed a balk that allowed Guida and Segovia to move in third and second base and pinch-hitter Mark Robinette delivered again with a two-RBI single to right field to tie the game 4-4 and send it to extra innings.
The game remained tied until the top of the 14th inning when Jon Wegener hit a sacrifice fly to score Segovia and that gave St. Joseph its first lead of the game.
Robinette came on in relief and threw four innings of no-hit ball to get the win. He struck out six and is now 4-0 on the season.
Segovia, who made his first start of the season at second base, finished the night 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wegener had three hits and the game-winning RBI, and Robinette finished 2-for-3 at the plate with his two RBI in the ninth inning.
The Mustangs improve to 35-9 this season and 29-9 in the MINK League. They’re off Thursday and return to Phil Welch Stadium to take on Chillicothe Friday night at 7:00 p.m.