Mud Monsters End Homestand on Winning Note; Defeat Boomers 6-4 in Series Finale
PEARL, Miss. (Aug. 2, 2026) - John Walsh settled into his best start of the season as the Mississippi Mud Monsters (29-43) rode a four-run fourth inning and a two-run fifth to a 6-4 victory over the Schaumburg Boomers (39-33) in Sunday’s series finale.
Monster Notes
A four-run fourth, strong relief work and a Barraza finish closed the homestand with a win.
- John Walsh earned the win after allowing three runs over 5.1 innings.
- Connor Langrell struck out five over 2.2 innings, tying the Mud Monsters season high for reliever strikeouts.
- Chris Barraza struck out the side in the ninth to earn the save.
- Travis Holt went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
- Karell Paz went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and the go-ahead RBI.
Walsh Gets the Surprise Start
The left-hander took the ball after Art Joven was placed on the Injured List.
After dropping four of the first five games of the series to lose their second straight home series, the Mud Monsters turned to Eagle, Colorado, native Walsh for the surprise start after fellow left-hander Art Joven, who had been scheduled to start, was placed on the Injured List on July 29.
Walsh started things by issuing a walk to leadoff man Alec Craig.
Cole Smith followed with a single to put two runners aboard.
Craig stole second and advanced to third before Kellum Clark knocked in the first run with a sacrifice fly to open the scoring with a 1-0 Boomers lead.
Banks Tolley then singled for Schaumburg’s second hit before Alex Calarco lined an RBI double down the right-field line to extend the lead to 2-0.
With Tolley at third and Calarco at second, Kyle Fitzgerald grounded out to Travis Holt, bringing home the third run to push the Schaumburg lead to 3-0 before Walsh picked up the final out on a strikeout of Will Prater.
Walsh Settles In
Schaumburg was kept quiet after the first inning.
Walsh rebounded with a scoreless top of the second despite issuing a walk to the leadoff batter, Jeff Nicol, to get the 3-0 score to the home half of the inning.
Schaumburg starter Cole Cook retired the Mississippi lineup in order through the first three innings.
Four-Run Fourth
Mississippi flipped the game in its second trip through the order.
Booker changed that his second time through the order by leading off the bottom of the fourth with a single.
A walk by AJ Fritz followed to put two men on before Booker swiped third.
Samil De La Rosa then grounded into a fielder’s choice that Schaumburg attempted to turn into a double play, getting only the force out on Fritz.
With De La Rosa reaching, the Mud Monsters designated hitter stole second to move into scoring position for Travis Holt.
Holt singled into left field to make it a one-run game at 3-2 after De La Rosa scored.
The next batter, Victor Diaz, hammered a ball down the left-field line that dropped in front of Nicol for an RBI double.
On the same play, Diaz reached third after Nicol misplayed the ball.
Karell Paz followed by going the opposite way with a single into left field, allowing Diaz to score and give the Mud Monsters a 4-3 lead.
Two More in the Fifth
Payne II and Fritz added insurance.
Walsh settled in after the first inning, retiring the Boomers in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
Joshua Shelly was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the fifth for Mississippi.
Vantrel Reed followed with a walk before Booker hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Reed but moved Shelly to third while Booker reached safely.
Tevis Payne II then singled home Shelly to make it 5-3 Mud Monsters.
Booker went first to third on the hit before Fritz smashed a fly ball into center field for a sacrifice fly to put Mississippi ahead 6-3.
Langrell Takes Over
The bullpen protected the lead after Walsh’s strong start.
Walsh’s perfect stretch ended with a leadoff single by Clark and a one-out single by Calarco, prompting the Mud Monsters to turn to Connor Langrell out of the bullpen.
Langrell struck out the only two batters he faced to send the game to the bottom of the sixth with Mississippi still leading 6-3.
Walsh finished his afternoon going 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out three.
Threat Left Loaded
Mississippi filled the bases in the sixth but could not add on.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Mud Monsters threatened again after Holt singled to lead things off, Paz followed with a one-out walk and Reed reached on an infield single to load the bases.
Mississippi was unable to push across another run, and Langrell returned for his first full inning of work in the seventh.
Inside-the-Park Swing
Clark cut the Mud Monsters lead to two in the eighth.
Langrell remained on the hill in the eighth and, after striking out Smith for the first out, Clark sent a ball into center field that Booker laid out for but could not catch.
The ball rolled all the way to the fence, allowing Clark to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
The eighth-inning run was Schaumburg’s first since the opening inning and cut the Mud Monsters’ lead to 6-4.
Langrell finished his outing going 2.2 innings while allowing the one run on one hit while tying the Mud Monsters season high for reliever strikeouts with five.
Barraza Slams It Shut
The All-Star struck out the side in the ninth.
In the bottom of the eighth, Mississippi attempted a two-out rally after Shelly singled and Reed was hit by a pitch, but the Mud Monsters were held scoreless.
Chris Barraza entered for the save in the top of the ninth looking to secure Mississippi’s second victory of the series and end the 12-game homestand on a high note.
Barraza struck out the side despite issuing a walk with one out and another with two outs to secure the 6-4 victory and Mississippi’s second win of the season over Schaumburg.
Full Box Score
Mississippi 6, Schaumburg 4 - Aug. 2, 2026 at Trustmark Park
Line Score
Schaumburg Batting
Mississippi Batting
Schaumburg Pitching
Mississippi Pitching
Box Score Notes
Schaumburg extra-base hits: Calarco doubled in the first. Clark hit an inside-the-park home run in the eighth.
Mississippi extra-base hits: Diaz doubled in the fourth. Paz doubled in the eighth.
RBIs: Schaumburg - Clark 2, Calarco, Fitzgerald. Mississippi - Payne II, Fritz, De La Rosa, Holt, Diaz, Paz.
Hit by pitch: Shelly was hit by Cook. Reed was hit by Townes.
Defense: Schaumburg committed three errors and was charged with a passed ball. Mississippi played errorless defense.
Base running: Craig stole his 19th base for Schaumburg. Booker, Payne II, De La Rosa and Holt stole bases for Mississippi. Paz was caught stealing.
Pitching: Cook 93 pitches, 57 strikes. Snyder 28 pitches, 19 strikes. Vincent 13 pitches, 11 strikes. Townes 11 pitches, 6 strikes. Walsh 91 pitches, 53 strikes. Langrell 42 pitches, 26 strikes. Barraza 24 pitches, 10 strikes.
Game information: Trustmark Park. Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. First pitch: 6:01 p.m. Final out: 8:53 p.m. Time of game: 2:52. Attendance: 942. Weather: 83 degrees. Wind: 8 mph NW.
Up Next
After an off day Monday, the Mud Monsters begin a six-game road trip Tuesday, Aug. 4, against the Lake Erie Crushers at ForeFront Field.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT. At the time of writing, probable starters for either team had not been announced.
About the Mississippi Mud Monsters
Baseball Lives Here. It Just Got a Little Weirder.
The Mississippi Mud Monsters are a professional baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, competing in the Frontier League. Built in the mud and rooted in Mississippi, the Mud Monsters believe baseball should be unapologetically fun, a little weird, wildly welcoming, and deeply tied to the place it calls home. Real baseball. Real people. This is swamp-built, Mississippi-made baseball, where the vibes matter just as much as the final score.