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Minaya’s Start Wasted as Seventh Inning Nightmare Leads to 15-9 Loss to ThunderBolts

Thursday, August 27, 2026
Minaya’s Start Wasted as Seventh Inning Nightmare Leads to 15-9 Loss to ThunderBolts
Game Recap

Minaya’s Start Wasted as Seventh Inning Nightmare Leads to 15-9 Loss to ThunderBolts

Colton Martinez

Colton Martinez

Director of Broadcasting & Storytelling
Mississippi Mud Monsters

Final: Windy City 15, Mississippi 9 Record: Mississippi 36-56 Minaya: 6 IP, 1 R Paz: 3-for-5, HR 7th: Windy City 14 Runs

PEARL, Miss. (Aug. 27, 2026) — After leading for six innings behind a stellar start from Julian Minaya, the Mississippi Mud Monsters (36-56) saw the game turn completely as a nightmare 14-run seventh inning propelled the Windy City ThunderBolts (50-43) to a 15-9 victory Thursday night at Trustmark Park.

Monster Notes

For six innings, Mississippi controlled the game. Then came one of the strangest innings of the season.

  • Julian Minaya delivered his deepest Frontier League start, allowing one run across six innings on six hits and two walks.
  • Karell Paz went 3-for-5 and hit his first home run of the season.
  • AJ Fritz doubled home two runs during Mississippi's four-run fourth.
  • Victor Diaz drove in two runs, including a two-run double during Mississippi's seventh-inning response.
  • Brayland Skinner reached three times, scored twice and drove in a run.
  • Mississippi led 7-1 entering the seventh inning before Windy City scored 14 runs in the frame.
  • The ThunderBolts sent 19 batters to the plate during the seventh.

Minaya Sets the Tone

The right-hander kept Windy City off the board through five innings.

After falling behind 0-2 through the first two games of the six-game series against the ThunderBolts, the Mud Monsters sent right-hander Julian Minaya to the mound looking for the antidote to a Windy City offense that had scored 17 runs through the first two matchups.

The Hempstead, New York native began his outing by issuing a leadoff walk to Liam McArthur before picking up the first out on a strikeout of Michael Sandle.

With Justin Fogel batting and one out, Minaya’s first pitch was called a strike as McArthur took off for second. Catcher Victor Diaz threw him out attempting to steal for out number two.

In Mississippi’s first offensive opportunity, Windy City starter Dante Maietta issued consecutive two-out walks to put the first two Mud Monsters baserunners aboard, but Mississippi was held scoreless in the bottom of the first.

Jared Beebe led off the top of the second with a single up the middle for Windy City’s first hit of the evening. With one out following a popup to second, the Mud Monsters went around the horn on a Victor Cerny ground ball for an inning-ending double play.

After Mississippi was retired in order in the bottom of the second, Minaya returned for his third inning of work and retired the first two batters before Josue Urdaneta blooped a single into the outfield and attempted to advance to second.

Left fielder Trey Bridges made a throw attempting to catch Urdaneta advancing, but the ball went into the visiting dugout, allowing Urdaneta to move to third.

Minaya escaped without allowing the run after shortstop Amani Larry made a tremendous diving catch in shallow left field for the final out.

Mississippi Strikes First

Larry's sacrifice fly finally put the Mud Monsters in front in the series.

Vantrel Reed led off the bottom of the third by grounding a first-pitch single up the middle.

With one out, an errant back-pick attempt by Maietta allowed Reed to advance to second.

Back-to-back free passes to Kyle Booker and AJ Fritz loaded the bases for Larry, who lifted a fly ball deep enough into center field for Reed to tag and score.

The sacrifice fly gave Mississippi a 1-0 advantage and marked the first time in the series that the Mud Monsters scored first.

Four More in the Fourth

Five hits pushed Mississippi's advantage to 5-0.

After Minaya tossed a scoreless top of the fourth, the Mississippi bats went back to work as consecutive singles by Travis Holt and Bridges opened the home half.

Holt advanced to third on Bridges’ base hit before Diaz brought him home with an RBI groundout to extend Mississippi’s advantage to 2-0.

Reed followed with a fly ball to center that allowed Bridges to advance to third before Brayland Skinner dunked an RBI single into right field to make it 3-0.

Booker followed with a single to put runners on the corners before Fritz cleared the bases with a two-run double, pushing the Mud Monsters’ advantage to 5-0.

Running It to 7-1

Paz and Skinner each created a run with their legs.

Karell Paz singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth and advanced to second on a groundout before attempting to steal third.

Cerny’s throw on the steal attempt sailed into left field, allowing Paz to come all the way around and extend Mississippi’s advantage to 6-0.

Windy City finally broke through against Minaya in the top of the sixth after pinch-hitter Tanner Reaves drew a walk and Sandle singled to put two runners aboard.

After Minaya recorded the first out on a popup to shortstop, Beebe singled to load the bases.

Pena followed with a sacrifice fly to bring home Windy City’s first run and trim Mississippi’s advantage to 6-1.

Skinner was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the sixth and immediately attempted to steal second.

Cerny’s throw sailed into center field, allowing Skinner to advance to third before a wild pitch brought him home and restored Mississippi’s six-run advantage at 7-1.

Six Strong From Minaya

His deepest Frontier League start ended with Mississippi comfortably in front.

Hunter Belton took over in the top of the seventh, ending an outstanding evening for Minaya.

The right-hander completed his deepest start in the Frontier League, tossing 6.0 innings of one-run baseball while allowing six hits and two walks and striking out three.

Fourteen Runs

A 7-1 lead became a 15-7 deficit in one stunning half-inning.

Belton immediately ran into trouble after issuing a leadoff walk to Ruiz.

A double followed to put two runners in scoring position before Urdaneta delivered an RBI single to make it 7-2.

Reaves followed with an RBI groundout to trim the advantage to 7-3 while recording the first out.

Belton then walked Sandle before Fogel singled home another run, cutting Mississippi’s lead to 7-4.

The Mud Monsters turned to Connor Langrell out of the bullpen in search of the final two outs, but the inning continued to unravel.

Langrell inherited two runners charged to Belton and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases.

The right-hander struck out Pena for the second out before Cerny singled home both inherited runners, suddenly making it a one-run ballgame at 7-6.

Ruiz drew his second walk of the inning to reload the bases before Tony Livermore delivered a two-run single to give Windy City its first lead of the evening at 8-7.

A walk to Urdaneta loaded the bases for the third time before Langrell issued consecutive bases-loaded walks, stretching the ThunderBolts’ advantage to 10-7.

Mississippi turned to its third pitcher of the inning, calling upon Brayden Sanders to try to stop the rally.

Sanders uncorked a wild pitch to the first batter he faced, Fogel, allowing another run to cross and make it 11-7.

Fogel followed with a two-run single to extend Windy City’s lead to 13-7.

With Fogel at first, Sanders hit Beebe with a pitch to put two ThunderBolts aboard before Pena tripled to clear the bases and push the advantage to 15-7.

Sanders finally recorded the third out, bringing an end to a stunning 14-run seventh inning that turned a 7-1 Mississippi advantage into a 15-7 deficit.

Paz Starts the Answer

Mississippi immediately put two runs back on the board.

The Mud Monsters immediately attempted to answer in the bottom half against Windy City reliever Blaise Wilcenski.

Paz greeted the right-hander by blasting a leadoff solo home run, his first of the 2026 season, to make it 15-8.

A single by Holt and walk to Bridges put two more baserunners aboard before Diaz doubled home Holt to cut the deficit to 15-9.

Quiet From There

Forsyth and Woolfolk kept Windy City off the board, but Mississippi could not close the gap.

Braden Forsyth took over in the top of the eighth and, despite issuing a pair of walks, pitched a scoreless frame while striking out two.

Paz collected his third hit of the evening in the bottom of the eighth against ThunderBolts reliever Carson Plumadore, but Mississippi was held scoreless and the game remained 15-9.

Dallas Woolfolk followed out of the bullpen in the top of the ninth as the sixth pitcher used by Mississippi.

The right-hander retired the ThunderBolts in order while striking out one.

Down to their final offensive opportunity in the bottom of the ninth, the Mud Monsters faced Plumadore for his second inning of work.

The right-hander retired the side in order to complete Windy City’s 15-9 comeback victory.

Fireworks Friday

The Mud Monsters continue their six-game series against the ThunderBolts Friday evening with another Fireworks Friday at Trustmark Park.

The night also brings Military Appreciation Night presented by the Mississippi Army National Guard, which will sponsor a team photo giveaway in conjunction with OnTarget TV.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. CT. Southpaw Tyler Campbell (5-5, 4.89) takes the mound for Mississippi while right-hander Tyler Biddinger (5-2, 4.30) gets the start for Windy City.

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.