Mississippi Held to One Run in Loss to Tri-City
Published on May 29, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Mississippi Mud Monsters News Release
PEARL, Miss. - Tarps were off at Trustmark Park Thursday evening, but unfortunately so were the bats as the Mississippi Mud Monsters (8-10) were held to one run for just the second time this season in a 10-1 loss to the Tri-City ValleyCats (4-11).
Brenton Thiels turned in his best start of the season, finishing just one out shy of matching the quality start delivered by Hunter Belton in game two of the series.
The right-hander out of Louisiana went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits while walking four and striking out three.
Just as game two began, the Mud Monsters found themselves trailing after a first-inning run by Tri-City. Unlike game two, however, the long-awaited answer would not come until after the seventh-inning stretch.
With a new-look lineup featuring Vantrel Reed making his professional debut, the Mud Monsters seldom had an answer for Tri-City starter Austin Dill.
Mississippi did not struggle to put balls in play; rather, Dill consistently pitched to contact and let his defense do the work behind him. The Mud Monsters were retired in order on three separate occasions throught the game.
A sacrifice fly in the first inning and a two-out RBI single in the fourth accounted for all the damage the ValleyCats could do against Thiels.
The right-hander ran into trouble in the sixth after Amani Larry led off the frame with a single, but Thiels recovered by getting Jake Reinisch to fly out before Tevis Payne II threw out Larry attempting to steal second. Larry became the fourth runner Payne II has caught stealing in as many games.
After Thiels walked the next batter, Tristan House entered and recorded the final out to keep the Tri-City lead at 2-0. House began his first full inning of work in the seventh. He recorded a lineout for the first out and got ahead with two strikes on each of the next two batters, but both found shallow outfield grass for soft singles.
Max Mandler followed with a single to load the bases before House walked Larry to force home Tri-City's third run.
A wild pitch brought home another run, and a late balk call during Reinisch's at-bat plated a second to make it 5-0.
Both managers emerged from their dugouts to argue the balk ruling, creating a lengthy delay that ultimately resulted in Dusty Baird entering from the bullpen to replace House.
Inheriting a one-out jam and a full count to Reinisch, Baird surrendered an RBI triple that stretched the ValleyCats lead to 6-0. Baird recorded the second out on a fly ball to center field, but it was deep enough to score another run and make it 7-0 before he finally closed out the five-run seventh inning.
The lone run for Mississippi came in the bottom of the seventh after AJ Fritz singled to lead off the inning. Payne II followed with a walk and a two-out walk to Reed loaded the bases for Brayland Skinner at the top of the order.
Dill walked Skinner with the bases loaded to force home Fritz and put Mississippi on the board at 7-1. Baird tossed a scoreless eighth inning before Seth McCartney entered in the ninth.
A leadoff walk to Larry put one aboard for Reinisch, who launched a two-run home run to make it 9-1. Tri-City added one more run later in the inning to push the score to 10-1.
Arlo Marynczak, who relieved Dill in the seventh, held Mississippi scoreless over the final three innings to secure the first ValleyCats victory of the series.
The Mud Monsters continue their series against Tri-City on Friday evening. It is Stroke Awareness Night at Trustmark Park presented by FMOL Health St. Dominic. The game will also feature Fins Up Night celebrating Jimmy Buffett, with postgame fireworks synchronized to Buffett's music courtesy of FMOL Health St. Dominic.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. At the time of writing, Mississippi has not announced a starting pitcher. Tri-City will send right-hander Luke Delongchamp (0-0, 0.00) to the mound.
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