St. Joseph, Mo. (June 26, 2021) - For the first time since 2019, in front of a crowd of 3,042 -- the largest crowd since Opening Day --, Ike Book hit a homerun at Phil Welch Stadium.
The eighth inning homerun carried over the right-field fence and into the Party Deck. The home run was monumental, and a turning point of the game.
The two-run home run tied the game at five runs apiece, giving the Mustangs the momentum in the final innings.
The Mustangs would go on to win 6-5 over the Joplin Outlaws, thanks to a walk-off single by Sean O’Malley just out of reach of the diving shortstop.
Book and O’Malley shared the Player of the Game honor, given that both of their late-inning heroics secured the Saturday night victory.
“I’m proud to be a Mustang tonight,” O’Malley said in a post-game interview, continuing to thank the city for welcoming him to St. Joseph.
Saturday was a busy night at Phil Welch. The Mustangs donned pink jerseys for breast cancer awareness and hosted a jersey auction, as well as inducted the Pony Express Baseball League into the St. Joseph Baseball Hall of Fame. Four lucky Mizzou students were able to each win a scholarship of $1,000 thanks to the Buchanan County Alumni Association.
On Sunday, the Mustangs will host the Joplin Outlaws again at Phil Welch at 7:00 p.m.
About the St. Joseph Mustangs:
The St. Joseph Mustangs are six-time MINK League Champions, boasting the honor in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019. Since their founding 12 years ago, the Mustangs have continued to receive support from the St. Joseph community in their efforts to become one of the best collegiate summer league baseball teams in the country. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.stjoemustangs.com/tickets.
Photo Credit: Nick Ingram