Mud Monsters' Rally Falls Short against Visiting Gateway

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FL Mississippi Mud Monsters

Mud Monsters' Rally Falls Short against Visiting Gateway

May 14, 2025 - Frontier League (FL)
Mississippi Mud Monsters News Release


PEARL, MS - At long last, the Mississippi Mud Monsters finally got the chance to get back on the diamond. Following an opening night 13-2 win over Florence last Thursday, the next two games in the opening series were rained out, and that was followed by two scheduled off days.

Tuesday night saw the Monsters welcome a new foe to Trustmark Park for the first time - the Gateway Grizzlies. The Saint Louis-area club made themselves at home, blowing open a 1-1 tie with a seven-run fifth inning that turned sideways the much-anticipated debut of former Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Luis Devers.

Not all the news was bad for the M's. Outside of the one grizzly half-inning, the Monsters pitched well. Rodney Theophile was activated from the visa inactive list, and dropped right into the rotation, getting the nod Tuesday night. The 6-foot-6 Nicaraguan pitched well in his first Mud Monster start, going four innings, giving up a run on a hit, with a walk, while striking out four.

Devers took over for Theophile in the fifth, but found trouble. Gateway struck for seven runs in the fifth on seven hits, a hit batter, a stolen base, an error, and two wild pitches, in an inning that saw twelve Grizzlies come to the plate. The inning was paced by a 2-run double by designated hitter Ross Friedrick, and a 2-run single from right fielder Victor Castillo who had already tripled and scored in the second inning.

After the fifth, the Monsters bullpen settled in. Michael Reed, Gage Bihm, and Chris Barraza scattered three baserunners (two walks and a hit batter) over the last 4 1/3 innings, striking out a combined six.

At the dish, Kyle Booker had a big day hitting from the ninth slot in the order. The M's right fielder was 3 for 4 with two singles and a bases-clearing double in the ninth. Those three runs followed a bases-loaded walk by catcher Andriel Lantigua, and pulled Mississippi within three, at 8 to 5.

The rally chased Matt Hickey from the mound and Keegan Collett was brought on to close the game out, collecting the last two outs.

The win goes to Gateway's Sam Rochard who spun five innings of scoreless, two-hit baseball in relief of starter Claudio Galva. The rookie pro from Tennessee Wesleyan walked one and struck out three. He's now 1-0. Galva worked through three busy innings, giving up only one run, while giving up two hits and walking three, and stranding a runner in each of his three frames.

Game two of the series is Wednesday night at 6:30. The gates at Trustmark Park open an hour before, at 5:30.

Opening night starter James Boeree is scheduled for his second start of 2025. He pitched four hitless innings in his season debut. The Grizzlies send right-hander Gage Vailes, a 24-year-old right hander from Atlanta, out for his first professional start after 18 career relief appearances.

Check out the Mississippi Mud Monsters Statistics



Frontier League Stories from May 14, 2025


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