Mariners 6, Clippers 14
Clippers erupt for 11-run middle innings, roll past Mariners 14–6
MUSKEGON, Mich. (June 12, 2026) — The Muskegon Clippers turned a quiet start into a runaway finish Friday night, using a decisive seven-run fifth inning and a four-run eighth to beat the Grand Lake Mariners 14–6.
Grand Lake carried a 3–0 lead into the bottom of the fourth, but Muskegon's patience at the plate (a staggering 15 walks) and timely extra-base hits flipped the game quickly and permanently.
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Mariners strike first, build early cushion
The Mariners manufactured two runs in the third without a hit in the key moments. Holden Murcer drew an RBI walk to open the scoring, and Brandt Kendall brought home another with an RBI groundout for a 2–0 lead.
In the fourth, Matthew Aldridge doubled in Landon Tiesing to make it 3–0. Aldridge finished with 2 runs, an RBI double, and 2 walks, while Tiesing scored three times despite going 1-for-3.
Muskegon finally got on the board in the fourth when Caden Thelen walked and a wild pitch allowed a run to score, trimming it to 3–1.
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The fifth inning breaks it open
The game turned sharply in the bottom of the fifth. Muskegon sent 12 men to the plate and scored seven runs, fueled by traffic on the bases and a costly defensive mistake.
Key moments included:
- An RBI single and another RBI single to tie it at 3–3
- Justin St. Antoine reaching on a catcher's error that put Muskegon ahead
- Isaiah Domey's two-run double
- Kaden Howard's two-run triple that capped the inning and pushed the lead to 8–3
Grand Lake pitching struggled to stop the bleeding all night, issuing 15 walks, hitting three batters, and uncorking multiple wild pitches.
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Mariners show life, but Clippers answer every time
Grand Lake scratched across an unearned run in the seventh when a strikeout turned into a baserunner on a wild pitch, and another wild pitch brought Murcer home to make it 8–4.
But Muskegon answered immediately with two more runs in the bottom half—both driven in via walks—to extend the lead to 10–4.
The Mariners' best swing came in the eighth: Holden Murcer lined a two-run single to center to cut it to 10–6 and give Grand Lake a brief opening.
Muskegon slammed the door in the bottom of the eighth with four more runs, highlighted by Jonnie Gifford's two-run double and additional RBI contributions from Ben Meyers and Nolan Laskey, pushing the final to 14–6.
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Notables
Muskegon Clippers
- Caden Thelen: 2-for-3, 3 RBI, 3 walks, plus a triple (reached base 5 times)
- Justin St. Antoine: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, double
- Kaden Howard: triple, 2 RBI, 2 walks, 2 runs
- Team totals: 10 hits, 14 runs, 15 walks
Grand Lake Mariners
- Holden Murcer: 1-for-4, 3 RBI, 1 walk
- Matthew Aldridge: RBI double, 2 runs, 2 walks
- Team totals: 6 hits, 6 runs, but struck out 12 times
Pitching
- Muskegon's Maddux Kipling earned the win (3.0 IP, 1 ER), stabilizing things after starter Tyler Finkbeiner walked five in three innings.
- Grand Lake's staff allowed 14 runs (12 earned) and struggled with command throughout.
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Muskegon improved to 6–1, while Grand Lake dropped to 4–3. Despite the early deficit, the Clippers' combination of plate discipline and extra-base damage turned the game into a rout by the late innings.