MUSKEGON – The Muskegon Clippers are only a few games behind in the hunt for the second and final playoff spot in the Great Lakes League’s North Division, with just six games left on their schedule.
Every game means a great deal at this point, so the Clippers will have to do better than Sunday night’s 12-0 loss to the Royal Oak Leprechauns at Marsh Field if they hope to sneak into the postseason.
The Clippers were outhit 11-4, committed three errors and lost by the 10-run mercy rule, which stopped the game after seven innings.
[1]The two teams will play again on Monday night in Muskegon in the finale of a short two-game series. On Tuesday the Clippers will begin a three-game (sort of) home series with Detroit Jet Box.
Tuesday’s schedule will include a doubleheader of sorts, with the Clippers and Jet Box finishing a rain-delayed game at 5 p.m., then playing a full game at 7:05 p.m. The final home regular season game will be on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
The Clippers will finish the regular season with a two-game series in Royal Oak on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday’s game is one that the Clippers will be happy to put behind them.
[2]The visitors scored two runs in the second inning, four in the fourth, three in the fifth and three in the seventh to clinch the victory.
Clippers starting pitcher James Geshel had a tough outing, tossing 3 2/3 innings and giving up five runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
The Clippers used four relief pitchers in the game, but they did not fare much better.
Jacob Anderson and Logan Hylek each had two hits for Muskegon.
[3]Muskegon Manager Logan Fleener was obviously not happy with the performance, but understands that his team team must put the loss in the rear view mirror fast with crucial games coming every day this week.
“We just didn’t show up tonight, in any aspect of the game,” Fleener said. “We couldn’t stop the bleeding and we couldn’t get anything going.
“One loss doesn’t kill you, but it puts a little more pressure on us to show up the rest of the week. We got to clear it quickly and come out tomorrow and it will be 0-0. Nothing carries over. We’ve got to flush this one as soon as we can and really get rolling tomorrow.”