Walsh Wins Debut; Bullpen Shoves as Mud Monsters Clinch Series Against Gateway
PEARL, Miss. (July 1, 2026) - The Mississippi Mud Monsters (20-27) took the morning matchup in game two of their three-game series against the Gateway Grizzlies (22-24), riding a strong debut from newest Mud Monsters hurler John Walsh and another productive day at the plate to a 9-2 victory.
Monster Notes
Walsh won his debut, the bullpen threw four scoreless innings and the Mud Monsters clinched the series.
- John Walsh earned the win in his Mud Monsters debut and first professional start.
- Mississippi's bullpen combined for four scoreless innings after Walsh exited.
- Brayland Skinner and Vantrel Reed each collected two hits and stole bases.
- Nathan Rose drove in two runs in his third appearance since returning from the injured list.
- The Mud Monsters clinched the three-game series against Gateway.
Walsh Debuts
The newest Mud Monster made his first professional start.
Making his Mud Monsters debut after signing with the club Tuesday, Walsh took the hill for the first professional start of his career.
The southpaw started off on the right foot and the left arm, striking out leadoff hitter Sawyer Smith to begin his outing.
Walsh added two more strikeouts in the second despite issuing his first professional walk.
Early Threat
Mississippi loaded the bases in the second but could not cash in.
Mississippi threatened in the second after being retired in order in the first.
Leading off the inning, Samil De La Rosa dunked a ball down the right-field line that Victor Castillo could not haul in on a sliding attempt for a double.
Kasten Furr was hit by a pitch and Tevis Payne II walked on four pitches to load the bases, but a 2-3 double play recorded the first two outs.
Scout Knotts followed with a two-out walk to reload the bases, but the Mud Monsters were unable to capitalize.
Three Times the Charm
The Mud Monsters broke through in the third.
In the bottom of the third, Mississippi loaded the bases once again, and this time it was three times the charm.
Brayland Skinner led off the inning with a single before Gateway starter Ben Gregory issued back-to-back walks to Kyle Booker and Travis Holt.
De La Rosa brought Skinner home with an RBI groundout while advancing Booker to third.
Gregory then uncorked a wild pitch on a 2-0 count that skipped past catcher Otto Jones, allowing Booker to score and extend the lead to 2-0.
Gateway Ties It
The Grizzlies finally broke through in the fifth.
The score remained there until the fifth when Gateway finally broke through against Walsh.
Brennan Orf led off with a single before a fielder's choice erased him but left Cole Brannen aboard.
A double by Otto Jones put two runners in scoring position before Darryl Lee followed with a two-run double to tie the game at 2-2.
Gateway put runners on the corners with two outs after a José Alvarez single, but Walsh induced a ground ball to Knotts at first to end the threat.
Immediate Answer
Mississippi took the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth.
Mississippi answered immediately with a two-out rally in the bottom half.
De La Rosa and Furr singled before Payne II lined an RBI base hit to force Gregory from the game.
Gateway summoned Jake Burcham from the bullpen to face Nathan Rose, who was making his third appearance since returning from the injured list.
After Payne II stole second to move both runners into scoring position, Rose lined Burcham's second pitch into left field for a two-run single, giving Mississippi a 5-2 lead.
Walsh finished his day going five innings, allowing two runs on five hits while walking three and picking up two strikeouts.
Four More in the Sixth
The Mud Monsters pulled away with another crooked number.
Sergio Sanchez took over in the sixth, making his season debut after being activated off the inactive list this morning. The San Cristobal, Dominican Republic native tossed a scoreless inning while allowing one hit.
The clean frame sparked another offensive outburst as the Mud Monsters plated four more runs in the bottom half.
Vantrel Reed and Skinner opened the inning with consecutive singles for their second hits of the day.
Reed stole second during Skinner's at-bat, and after Skinner reached, he swiped second as well to put two runners in scoring position for the club's RBI leader, Booker.
Booker delivered an RBI single to score Reed for his 47th RBI of the season.
Holt followed with his first hit of the morning, driving in Skinner to make it 7-2 and chase Burcham from the game after he hit De La Rosa with a pitch.
Eli Cartwright became Gateway's first left-handed pitcher of the series and recorded the first out on a Furr groundout, allowing Holt to score and push the lead to 8-2.
With runners on the corners, Payne II worked a walk to load the bases before Knotts drew another free pass with two outs to force home Booker and make it 9-2.
Bullpen Shoves
Four relievers combined to keep Gateway off the board.
Braden Forsyth followed Sanchez with a scoreless seventh, striking out one.
Left-hander Gage Bihm worked a scoreless eighth before right-hander Jase Schueller entered in the ninth.
Schueller walked Brennan Orf to begin the inning but induced a fielder's choice before recording a flyout to right. The rookie then struck out Darryl Lee swinging to secure the victory and clinch the series for Mississippi.
Full Box Score
Mississippi 9, Gateway 2 - July 1, 2026 at Trustmark Park
Line Score
Gateway Batting
Mississippi Batting
Gateway Pitching
Mississippi Pitching
Box Score Notes
Gateway extra-base hits: Jones doubled in the fifth. Lee doubled in the fifth.
Mississippi extra-base hits: De La Rosa doubled in the second.
RBIs: Gateway - Lee 2. Mississippi - Booker, Holt, De La Rosa, Furr, Payne II, Rose 2, Knotts.
Base running: Mississippi stolen bases - Skinner 2, Booker, Payne II, Reed. Gateway caught stealing - Castillo.
Pitching: Gregory 89 pitches, 45 strikes. Burcham 20 pitches, 13 strikes. Cartwright 21 pitches, 12 strikes. Galva 16 pitches, 10 strikes. Lovin 17 pitches, 9 strikes. Walsh 94 pitches, 61 strikes. Sanchez 10 pitches, 7 strikes. Forsyth 20 pitches, 14 strikes. Bihm 6 pitches, 4 strikes. Schueller 14 pitches, 10 strikes.
Game information: Trustmark Park - Pearl, Mississippi. Wednesday, July 1, 2026. First pitch: 11:03 a.m. Final out: 1:46 p.m. Time of game: 2:43. Attendance: 1,042. Weather: 90 degrees. Wind: 5 mph SW. Official scorer: Keith Head.
Up Next
The Mud Monsters go for the sweep against the Grizzlies Thursday evening. As a prelude to the Fourth of July holiday, Thirsty Thursday will be themed "Party Like It's 1776," featuring $2 16-ounce domestic drafts, a Beer Batter promotion and Adults Run the Bases presented by Elite PT.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. CT. It will be a matchup of two left-handers as Tyler Campbell (3-1, 3.81) starts for Mississippi opposite Gateway's Blake Peyton (2-2, 4.30).
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.