Baseball Drops Doubleheader Games to Clarke

Marshall, Mo., (March 10, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team opened a Heart of America Athletic Conference series at home against Clarke (Iowa), Sunday afternoon at Indian Foothills Park.  The Vikings fell in both games by scores of 13-6 and 11-7.

Game one opened with Clarke producing from the plate in the top of the first inning, scoring three runs on four hits.  Missouri Valley threatened in the bottom half of the inning, putting two runners into scoring position, but could not cut into the deficit.  Senior Pitcher Dieterich Guertzgen (De Soto, Mo.) struck out two batters and took down CU in order in the second inning, but the Pride added to their lead with a three-run top of the third inning.  The Vikings got two of those runs back in the bottom of the third as Senior Shortstop Josias Mogollon (Bloomfield, Iowa) drove home a run with a double, then came home on a sac-fly from Junior Third Baseman Jayden Mah (Nanaimo, British Columbia) to make it a 6-2 score.  Guertzgen faced the minimum in the fourth inning, but MVC was unable to cut the gap in the bottom of the fourth.

Clarke added to its lead in the fifth inning, scoring two runs on five hits to stay in front, 8-2.  The bottom of the fifth featured a single from Mogollon and a two-run homer from Mah to cut the deficit down to 8-4.  The Pride rallied again in the sixth, scoring five runs and stretching the advantage out to 13-4.  After a scoreless sixth inning, Missouri Valley tried to mount a late comeback in the seventh.  Mogollong knocked out a solo homer, while Freshman Leftfielder Mason Baer (Roselle, Ill.) drove home Senior Pinch Runner KJ Hartline (Windsor, Colo.) on a sac-fly.  Two more runners reached safely for MVC during the at-bat, but both were left stranded to end the game as the Vikings fell, 13-6.

Mogollon totaled three hits, three runs and two RBI's, while Mah had one hit, one run and three RBI's.  Junior Rightfielder Hiroto Kobayashi (Saitama, Japan) added two hits.  Guertzgen picked up the loss, going five innings with 13 hits, eight earned runs and two strikeouts.

Clarke started game two of the doublehead with one run scored in the to pof the first inning, but Sophomore Pitcher Mason Fenwick (Mississauga, Ontario) got out of the jam with stranding three baserunners.  The Pride tacked on another run in the top of the second inning, and Missouri Valley followed with a solo homer from Kobayashi in the bottom half of the inning to cut the deficit down to 2-1.  The third inning featured more production from the plate from both teams.  Clarke scored four runs on five hits, while the Vikings used a Hartline solo homer to make it a 6-2 score.  Missouri Valley rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Baer drove in a pair of runs on a double and Junior Catcher Connor Bell (San Diego, Calif.) brought home Baer with a sac-fly to cut the deficit down to 6-5.

The Pride responded in the fifth with two more runs, but Missouri Valley came back with an RBI grounder from Kobayashi.  The sixth inning began with CU adding another three runs in the top half to put the team's advantage at 11-6.  The Vikings produced from the plate in the seventh inning as Hartline and Mah both singled, and Kobayashi drove home Hartline with another base hit.  However, MVC was unable to continue the rally and fell by a final score of 11-7.

Kobayashi totaled two hits, two runs and three RBI's, while Baer added two hits, one run and two RBI's.  Hartline finished with two hits, two runs and one RBI, and Mah had two hits.  Fenwick picked up the loss, going three innings with seven hits, six earned runs and two RBI's.  

Missouri Valley drops to 6-9 overall and 0-6 in the Heart.  Clarke improves to 6-11 on the season and 2-0 in the conference.

Up next, the two teams continue their series with a doubleheader at 12 p.m., Monday, at Indian Foothills Park.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here

ABOUT MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.