Baseball Drops Pair of Sunday Games at Peru State

Peru, Neb. (April 21, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team finished a Heart of America Athletic Conference series in Peru, Neb., Sunday afternoon with a doubleheader against Peru State (Neb.).  The Vikings lost both games by scores of 5-3 and 7-2.

Missouri Valley got out in front early in the first game, as Senior Shortstop Josias Mogollon (Bloomfield, Iowa) led off the top of the first inning with a double, and came home on a single from Junior Third Baseman Connor Bell (San Diego, Calif.) to put the team on top, 1-0.  Junior Pitcher Caleb Monnig (Liberty, Mo.0 followed by taking down Peru State in order in the bottom half of the inning.  The Vikings added to their lead in the second inning, as Senior Second Baseman Ty Ellis (Kennett, Mo.) opened the at-bat with a walk and Junior Centerfielder Dale Bratz (Carstairs, Alberta) followed with a single.  Senior Catcher Josh Turner (Pensacola, Fla.) brought home Ellis on a sac-fly, and Senior Leftfielder Tyler Grzela (Mississauga, Ontario) drove home Bratz with a single as the score moved to 3-0.  The Bobcats got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning, using two hits and a sac-fly to cut the deficit to 3-1.  Peru State threatened again in the third inning, but Monnig worked a pair of fly-outs to get out of a jam with two runners stranded.

After a scoreless fourth inning, PSC rallied in the bottom of the fifth, knocking out a three-run homer to move ahead, 4-3.  Peru State tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-3 lead.  Junior Pinch Hitter Jayden Mah (Nanaimo, British Columbia) singled in the seventh and Mogollon was hit by a pitch to bring the go-ahead run to the plate with one out in the top of the seventh, however, the Vikings were unable to rally, and fell by a final score of 5-3.

Bell led with two hits and one RBI, while both Mogollon and Bratz had one hit and one run each.  Grzela added one hit and one RBI.  Monnig went four innings, giving up seven hits and four earned runs.

The second game started with Peru State taking an early lead, moving in front, 1-0, after the first inning.  The two teams were taken down in order in the second inning.  Missouri Valley produced in the top of the third as Bratz doubled and came home later in the at-bat on a sac-fly from Mogollon to tie the teams at 1-1.  The Bobcats put together a rally in the third, using four hits and one error to score three runs and move back ahead, 4-1.  The Vikings got one of those runs back in the fourth, as Bratz reached on an error that allowed Mah to score and cut the deficit to 4-2.  Missouri Valley was unable to move any closer through the rest of the game.  The Bobcats added one more run in the fifth, then scored three more runs in the sixth.  The Vikings fell in the second game, 7-2.

Mah had two hits and one run scored, while Bratz added one hit, one run and one RBI.  

The losses drop Missouri Valley to 14-30 overall and 3-25 in the Heart.  Peru State improves to 18-26 on the season and 14-14 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking baseball team is scheduled to travel to St. Louis, Mo., for a non-conference game against Health Sciences & Pharmacy (Mo.).  Game time is 12 p.m.

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.