The St. Joseph Mustangs won their fifth consecutive game Friday night as they returned to Phil Welch Stadium and beat Chillicothe, 8-7.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team improves to 36-9 overall and 30-9 in the MINK League.

The Mustangs scored four runs in the first inning to take a 4-1 lead and never trailed again.

St. Joseph added two more in the second inning before the Mudcats started to chip away at the lead.  Chillicothe scored two runs in the fifth inning and one in the top of the seventh to make the score 7-6.

The Mustangs answered with one run in the bottom of the seventh before the Mudcats closed the gap to one run again with a run in the top of the eighth, but that’s as close as they’d get.

Doug Shields worked a perfect ninth inning for his ninth save of the season.  Kyle Hassna (3-0) earned the win as he went six innings and allowed 12 hits and four earned runs.

Brent Seifert and Brock Chaffin had two hits each and they both drove in three runs, while Spiker Helms, Kris Koerper and Andrew Nellestein also had two hits a piece.

St. Joe is back at home Saturday for their final regular season game inside Phil Welch Stadium.  The Mustangs host Nevada at 7:00 p.m.