Top seeds on collision course for MINK League Championship Series

Upsets were the story on the first night of the postseason as No. 5 seed Chillicothe and No. 6 seed Carroll upended Sedalia and Jefferson City, respectively.

The narrative flipped Tuesday evening.

The top two seeds, St. Joseph and Clarinda, dominated in the semifinals and now will face off in the MINK League Championship Series.

The Merchants led the Mustangs 3-2 entering the bottom of the third, but the home team didn't allow them to stick around for long. St. Joe scored in five of the next six innings to pull away and top Carroll 9-3.

The A's received a quality start from Luke Spencer, giving up just two runs in six innings, and the bats did the rest plating a dozen runs on 12 hits. Clarinda ended Chillicothe's season in a decisive 12-2 victory.

The best-of-three MINK League Championship Series is now set between the rivals that have already met seven times this season with the Mustangs winning four of those matchups:

-June 4   St. Joseph 7, Clarinda 3
-June 5   St. Joseph 17, Clarinda 1
-June 28 Clarinda 11, St. Joseph 3
-July 2   Clarinda 5, St. Joseph 2
-July 7   Clarinda 9, St. Joseph 4
-July 18  St. Joseph 6, Clarinda 5
-July 20  St. Joseph 17, Clarinda 7

A season ago, St. Joseph was topped by Jefferson City in three games in the championship series. The last league title for the Mustangs was 2022.

Clarinda, the MINK's longest tenured organization, is looking to snap an 11-year title drought. The A's last won the championship in 2013.

The MINK League Championship Series begins Thursday at Eberly Field in Clarinda. Game two is Friday at Phil Welch Stadium in St. Joseph. If necessary, game three will be Saturday in St. Joseph.

MINK League Playoff Schedule