Baseball Falls in Sunday Doubleheader at No. 21 Central Methodist

Fayette, Mo., (April 13, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team finished a road Heart of America Athletic Conference series in Fayette, Mo., against No. 21 Central Methodist (Mo.) in a doubleheader.  The Vikings fell in the first game, then had a lead slip away in the second game to fall by a final score of 8-7.

Missouri Valley jumped out to an early lead in game two, as Freshman Leftfielder Isaac Nieters (Hughesville, Mo.) singled to open the top of the first inning, and Junior Centerfielder Mason Mitchell (Littleton, Colo.) belted out a two-run homer to put the team in front.  Junior Pitcher Caleb Monnig (Liberty, Mo.) followed by facing the minimum in the bottom half, ending the inning with a strikeout.  The Vikings added to their advantage in the top of the second, as Freshman Shortstop Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) led off with a double.  Later in the at-bat, Senior First Baseman Joe Hedger (Logan, Iowa) singled to bring home Suzuki, and MVC held a 3-0 lead.  Central Methodist responded in the bottom of the inning, using one walk and a homerun to generate two runs and cut the team's deficit down to 3-2.  Monnig came back in the bottom of the third, and worked around a leadoff single to keep a runner stranded, then took down CMU in order in the bottom of the fourth.

The top of the fifth inning started with Missouri Valley bringing home another run, on a leadoff solo homer by Hedger.  The first two Eagle batters reached safely in the bottom half of the fifth, then used a sac-fly to shrink the deficit down to 4-3.  The Vikings put together a two-out rally in the top of the sixth, as Suzuki and Senior Rightfielder Dale Bratz (Carstairs, Alberta) both singled, followed by an intentional walk of Hedger to load the bases.  Freshman Second Baseman Rui Watanabe (Nagasaki, Japan) worked a walk to bring home Suzuki, and Nieters put down an infield single to score both Hedger and Bratz, as the advantage grew to 7-3.  Scoring continued in the bottom of the sixth, with CMU using three hits and a pair of walks to help produce three runs.  Junior Pitcher Ryan Sullivan (Bellevue, Neb.) came in as relief in the inning, and ended the rally with a strikeout to strand the bases loaded.  Holding a 7-6 lead in the top of the seventh, the Vikings were unable to increase their advantage.  Central Methodist put its first three batters on base, and with one out, a single to center field brought home a pair of runners to end the game, and give Missouri Valley an 8-7 defeat.

Hedger had two hits, two runs and two RBIs, while both Nieters and Mitchell added two hits, one run and two RBIs each.  Suzuki had two hits and two runs, and Bratz totaled one hit and one run.  Monnig pitched 5.1 innings, giving up seven hits and six earned runs with two strikeouts, but received a no-decision.

In game one, Nieters led with two hits, two runs and one RBI, and Suzuki had two hits and two RBIs.  Watanabe added one hit.  The Vikings fell by a final score of 15-3.

Missouri Valley falls to 11-26 overall and 6-18 in the Heart.  Central Methodist improves to 24-12 on the season and 18-6 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking baseball team will play a non-conference game at Columbia (Mo.), Tuesday at 2 p.m..

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.