May 31, 2024 | Doug Wolfe | 29 views
Astros Open 2024 Campaign with 1 - 1 Weekend
The Mitchell Astros split their opening 2 games last weekend to begin the 2024 MOSBL Season. The Astros picked up an Opening Day walk-off win Friday night against Lucan 8-7 and fell in 7 innings to the Kincardine Cubs 13-2 on the road Sunday.
Friday night at home, Mitchell used a combination of timely hits and aggressive baserunning to battle back from an early 7-1 deficit to walk off Lucan in an 8 inning victory. Kevin Gardner paced the offence going 3-3 with a walk, 3 SBs, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored.
Gardner led off the 8th with a walk and then promptly stole second. Sam Near laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first baseline and beat it out for a single. Near stole second on the next pitch, which was followed by 2 consecutive Wild Pitches scoring both Gardner and Near to seal the comeback victory.
Offseason acquisition Keegan Marsden had 2 hits including his first career MOSBL HR when he led off the 7th with a blast to RF to tie the game at 7 and the Astros never looked back.
Dave Haggitt, Tom Fulton, Sam Near and Jake Near added 2 hits a piece while the team combined for 10 Stolen Bases. Gardner, S. Near, Haggitt and Derek Smitjes combined for 9Ks on the mound with Smitjes picking up the win in relief.
The fun ended there as the 1-0 Astros took the trip to Kincardine for a Sunday afternoon matinee. New addition Sean Hood-Tidman took the bump for the first time since last July and was in tough against strong Kincardine bats, allowing 9 over 3 innings, striking out 5. Brett Thompson took the mound in relief throwing 3 innings of 4 run ball with 2 Ks.
The bats weren't much help, mustering only 2 Nathan Smitjes hits and 1 unearned run over a mercy-rule-shortened 7 inning affair. Bryan Munoz, Marsden and Gardner all reached twice.
Next up for the Astros is a trip to Byron, 8pm Friday Night first pitch as they look to improve to 2-1 on the season.