MUSKEGON – Through six innings, it seemed like the type of game that the Muskegon Clippers would find a way to win.

After all, late-inning comebacks have been their specialty lately, and the Clippers only trailed the Michigan Monarchs by two runs.

But then the plot took an unexpected turn. The Monarchs put up seven runs in the seventh, and while the Clippers did their best to fight back, they still fell 11-6 in the finale of a three-game weekend series at Marsh Field.

Muskegon’s Trent Nielsen hits the basepath after putting a ball in play. Photo/Steve Gunn

The outcome ended the Clippers’ three game winning streak and left them in fourth place in the league’s Northern Division – but only two games out of first.

Opportunity will come knocking for the Clippers this week when they host the first-place Lima Locos in a four-game series, beginning Tuesday with a doubleheader.

“Giving up seven runs in the seventh put a hole in anything you want to do as a staff,” said Clippers Manager Logan Fleener. “We didn’t have enough clean innings today and couldn’t get off the field when we needed to.”

The Clippers opened the scoring in the first inning when Colin Cornwell scored on a Monarchs error, then added another run when A.J. Miranda singled home Jacob Anderson.

The Clippers’ Stoney Smith stands on second base while the Monarchs’ second baseman watches his throw go a bit wild. Photo/Steve Gunn

The Monarchs tied the game with a two-run home run in the second and then added a run in the third to take a 3-2 lead.  The visitors scored another run in the sixth before their seven-run seventh inning made it an 11-2 game.

Muskegon battled back to a degree in the eighth inning by scoring four runs. Colin Cornwell scored on a wild pitch, a Miranda double scored Spencer Nelson, Anderson came home on a wild pitch and Lucas Bolton plated Miranda with an RBI double.

But that was all the scoring the Clippers could manage.

Clippers pitcher Joe Wade entertains the crowd, and his teammates, with his baseball juggling skills. Photo/Steve Gunn

“Loved the momentum in the eighth, but it was a little too late,” Fleener said. “It was a great weekend taking two out of three from a team that was in first, and overall it was more of a positive week.”

Starting pitcher Tyler Petersen took the loss, tossing five and one-third innings while giving up four runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts.

Miranda led the offense with two hits and one RBI. Nelson, Bolton, Cornwell and Anderson each had one hit.

A player, two Clippers interns and Homer the mascot dance to The Village People’s “YMCA.” Photo/Steve Gunn