LocalSportsJournal.com

A sacrifice fly in the 10th inning cost the Muskegon Clippers a chance at a series sweep on Thursday night.

The Clippers went into extra innings against the Southern Ohio Copperheads, took a one-run lead into the bottom of the 10th inning, but fell short, 7-6.

Muskegon is 7-5, good for second place in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate Baseball League standings. The Clippers are two games back of the first-place Hamilton Joes.

The Clippers will return to Marsh Field on Friday to start a three-game series against the Xenia Scouts. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

On Thursday, both teams scored a run in the third inning, then the Copperheads added two in the fourth frame to take a 3-1 lead.

Southern Ohio added another run in the fifth inning, then the Clippers scored three in the sixth inning to tie the contest, 4-4.

The Copperheads retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth before Muskegon countered with one in the seventh to tie up the game again.

The game remained tied until the 10th inning when the Clippers scored a run on an error.

The Copperheads loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with one out before tying the game with an RBI single and winning the contest on a sacrifice fly.

The Clippers were paced by Cooper Hums, Ashten Wong, Diego Pena, and Preston Leon with two hits apiece. Wong and Leon each scored two runs. Wong also hit a home run. Five different Clippers had an RBI.

Colton Blankstrom suffered the loss on the mound, allowing two runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.

Muskegon’s starting pitcher Chase Raymond tossed four innings, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out three.