Clippers Fall to Joes At Marsh

Jonathan Timm

Muskegon, MI: Droughts at the plate got to the Muskegon Clippers (5-11) in a 5-2 loss to the defending champion Hamilton Joes (9-7) on Tuesday, June 24th. 

This is the third loss in a row for the Clippers.

After tying the game in the third inning, the Clippers would make 17 consecutive outs without a baserunner until two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Marc Iozzo was the winning pitcher responsible for the 5.2 inning stretch of tame Clipper bats, and after entering with the bases loaded in the third had six strikeouts, no walks, two infield hits allowed and finished his day with the 17 straight outs. It took Iozzo just 67 pitches with 52 being strikes. 

The Joes scored five runs off ten hits, four Clipper errors and spread it out all game long. A solo run in the first, third, fifth, eighth and a ninth was enough to keep it out of reach for the Clippers. Jaxon Christ scored three of the five Joe runs.

After stranding the bases loaded in the second, the Clippers down 2-0 were able to tie the game, loading the bases again and ending starting Joe pitcher Deyn Mullins’ day. RBI infield singles from Taylor Head and Preston Leon came back to back to make it 2-2. Head and Leon were the only baserunners against Iozzo.

Kendall Brewer got the start for the Clippers and had seven strikeouts, four hits, four walks and three earned runs allowed in his 4.1 innings on the mound.

Relief pitcher Max Salas ate up the middle of the game for the Clips, not allowing an earned run and striking out four, no walks and four hits allowed in his 3.2 innings. Salas’ ERA is now down to 2.46 and excelled with his fastball.

After Trevor Raade allowed one run in the top of the ninth, the Clipper bats gave one last beacon of hope to the home crowd against second year Joe pitcher Carson Brower. With two outs, Ethan Delgado singled to extend his hitting streak to six games. Jack Bakus found his third hit of the night next at bat. Tying run Nolan Zajac was hit in the hands to load the bases. 

Connor Kelly would have one pinch hit opportunity as the winning run. After grounding out, it was the third different bases loaded stranded inning for the Clippers.

The Clips will have a couple of chances on Wednesday, June 25th in a double header vs. the Joes with first pitch of Game 1 coming at 4:05 and the second game to follow roughly 30 minutes after.