By MATT PIKE
The St. Joseph Mustangs battled back and forth with the Ban Johnson Raiders to close out a three game homestand to open up the 2026 season, battling for a 7-4 win.
After Missouri Western's Seth Winkler walked in the first inning, Griffon teammate Micah Kobuszewski singled, advancing Winkler to third base. Winkler later scored the opening run on a double by Lafayette alum Jayden Little. But, the Raiders answered with three runs in the second inning to steal the lead, first tying the game on an RBI triple by Jake Kruse that drove in Carson Lett. Kruse scored in the next at bat to break the tie as Blake Wisley doubled, and an RBI single from Collin Morris drove in Wisley to give Ban Johnson a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the third inning the Mustangs rallied to tie the game. Kobuszewski hit a one out single and advanced to third base on back-to-back wild pitches. Little walked and another wild pitch allowed Kobuszewski to come home to score and cut the lead to one. Tyler Gundelfinger was hit by a pitch, which allowed Little to advance to second, and both runners moved another base on yet another wild pitch, before Eden Meyers singled to tie the game, driving in Little to make it 3-3 at the end of three innings.
St. Joseph then broke the tie and retook the lead in the fourth inning scoring a run. Benton alum Chris Coy walked with one out, advancing to second on a groundout by Winkler. With two outs, Kobuszewski singled again, moving Coy to third, and Coy scored with the bases loaded on a single by Gundlefinger. The Raiders again tied the game in the seventh inning with a Jack Helberb RBI single scoring Morris, after he walked to lead off the inning, but in the bottom half the Mustangs took the lead again as Carter Belton hit his second home run of the season.
Leading 5-4, St. Joseph added the final two runs of insurance in the eighth. Coy was hit by a pitch and stole second base, scoring on a single by Winkler. Winkler advanced to second on a throwing error by Ban Johnson center fielder Dax Howard, and later scored as Kobuszewski reached on another error, this time by third baseman Owen Laessig. Those insurance runs came in handy, though no runs scored, as Plattsburg alum Keegan Gudde loaded the bases with one out, but then got a foul out and a line out to end the game.
Graden Hammond earned the win on the mound in relief, pitching two scoreless and hitless innings, walking two and striking out one. Gudde earned the save, giving up one hit and walking one in one inning. At the plate, Kobuszewski was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Winkler was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored with one RBI. Little was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, walking twice.
The Mustangs are now 2-1 on the young season and will be off until Tuesday. St. Joseph will travel to face a returning team to the MINK League in Joplin, with a new name, facing the Joplin Jailbirds for their home opener.
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