Chicago Ill.- June 1, 2021- Today marked many firsts for the Minutemen. It marked the first of the month, the first game at home, and the first game of the season. The MCL Minutemen (0-1) took on the Crestwood Panthers (2-2) at Prairie State College in a nightfall showdown.

It was a back and forth affair in the beginning, but when the third inning hit, the Panthers exploded. Everything the team swung at seemed to be a base hit, and they showed no signs of slowing down. The Panthers were winning 12-4 going into the seventh inning.

Just when the game seemed to be over, the Minutemen struck back. Manager Deandre Gilmore put in five new players into the game. A comeback started to brew as Issac Rivera (Undecided/ Oak Forest, Ill.) came into the game, hit the ball to the outfield, and stepped on first. Jason Daniels (Waubonsee/ Hammond, Ind.) followed it up as he came into the game with a single of his own to put Minutemen on first and second. Jorge Santos (South Suburban/ Homewood, Ill.) stepped up to the plate and whacked a double into right field, allowing Rivera and Daniels to score. Santos and Brennan Brogni (Illinois Springfield/ Flagstaff, Ariz.) would end up scoring, and the seventh inning would end with Mike Koszewski (Cincinnati/ Oak Brook, Ill.) on third base, and Alphonzo Franks (Southeastern Illinois/ Munster, Ind.) on second.

The eighth inning was just as intense. The Minutemen held the Panthers scoreless for the inning. When they were back up to bat, they made it count. The team would score two more runs, and left a runner on third when the inning ended. 

Just as both teams were getting set to play the ninth inning, the game was called right in the middle of the Minutemen rally because it was too dark to play. The Minutemen lost the game 12-10 after eight innings.

Gilmore was very pleased with how the team was able to adjust and respond.

“I ended up making a couple of moves to get some guys in and see where they were at. That really sparked us,” he said, “I couldn’t be more happy for those guys.”

The Minutemen will be back at Prairie State Wednesday, June 2, to host the Chicago American Giants. The game is set to start at 5:05 pm, and will be broadcasted on the MCL Minutemen Facebook page, @MCLMinutemen.