Baseball Splits Series Opening Doubleheader at Culver-Stockton

Canton, Mo., (April 18, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team opened a Heart of America Athletic Conference series at Culver-Stockton (Mo.) Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader.  The Vikings split the two contests, helped by a complete-game pitching performance in the second game for a 6-0 victory.

Scoring began in game one in the top of the first inning, as both Junior Centerfielder Mason Mitchell (Littleton, Colo.) and Junior Designated Hitter Tanner Duncan (Kennett, Mo.) worked walks.  Later in the at-bat, a grounder from Freshman Shortstop Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) brought home Mitchell, and the Vikings moved in front, 1-0.  Culver-Stockton responded in the bottom half of the inning, using four hits, a hit batter and a walk to create four runs, and move ahead 4-1.  The Vikings came back with a rally in the top of the second, as the first three batters all reached safely.  Senior Leftfielder Dale Bratz (Carstairs, Alberta) walked, followed by a double from Senior First Baseman Joe Hedger (Logan, Iowa), while Freshman Catcher Jazofef Del Rosario (Toronto, Ontario) also walked to load the bases.  Senior Second Baseman Ruben Fernandez (Madrid, Spain) brought home Bratz with a single, and a single from Mitchell scored both Hedger and Junior Pinch Runner Jacob Spear (Oakwood, Ill.) to tie the contest at 4-4.  Junior Pitcher Caleb Monnig (Liberty, Mo.) worked out of a jam in the bottom of the second inning, stranding one runner on-base and keeping the game tied.  Missouri Valley produced from the plate in the top of the third as Senior Third Baseman Connor Bell (San Diego, Calif.) was hit, and later came home on a Hedger single to make it a 5-4 score.  Monnig took down CSC in order in the bottom half of the inning, then worked around a two-out double in the bottom of the fourth.  

The Wildcats came through with a long at-bat in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with two outs, and bringing home all three baserunners on a three-run double to put MVC in a 7-4 deficit.  The Vikings threatened in the top of the sixth, as Junior Rightfielder Pablo Arnaud (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) walked and Suzuki was hit, all with two outs.  However, the pair were left stranded to end the at-bat.  Culver-Stockton added another three runs in the bottom of the sixth, and Missouri Valley could not counter in its final at-bat, falling to the Wildcats by a final score of 10-6.

Mitchell led with two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs.  Hedger had two hits, one run and one RBI, and Del Rosario finished with two hits.  Fernandez and Suzuki had one hit and one RBI apiece, and Bratz added one hit and one run.  

Game two opened with Missouri Valley creating an early lead.  Senior Designated Hitter Jayden Mah (Nanaimo, British Columbia) worked a walk, and came home later in the at-bat on a single from Freshman Rightfielder Isaac Nieters (Hughesville, Mo.) to put the team in front, 1-0.  Duncan was on the mound, and struck out one batter in the bottom half of the inning to strand one runner on-base.  Duncan worked through the Culver-Stockon lineup, facing the minimum in the bottom of the second and third innings, striking out four total batters.  The Wildcats threatened in the bottom of the fourth, using a leadoff triple to put the tying run in scoring position.  However, Duncan got out of the jam with a groundout and two strikeouts to keep MVC on top.  Missouri Valley came through at the plate in the top of the sixth innings, as Mitchell started a rally with a triple, then came home on a sac-fly from Mah.  Suzuki and Nieters both worked walks, and scored on a double from Bell.  The Vikings added another run during the at-bat, as Bratz singled to bring home Bell, and the advantage sat at 5-0.  Duncan continued his shutout, striking out one, and stranding one baserunner in the bottom of the sixth.  Missouri Valley tacked on another run in the seventh inning, as Mah singled to score Junior Pinch Runner Silvan Stilzebach (Moosburg, Germany).  The complete-game was finished off by Duncan in the bottom of the seventh inning, striking out another two batters, including the final out of the game to preserve a 6-0 victory.

Mitchell had three hits and one run score, while Mah added one hit, one run and two RBIs.  Bell also had one hit, one run and two RBIs, while Nieters totaled one hit, one run and one RBI.  Duncan pitched a complete-game shutout, giving up only two hits and striking out 11 batters.

The split moves Missouri Valley to 12-28 overall and 7-19 in the Heart.  Culver-Stockton sits at 16-22 on the season and 10-16 in the conference.

Up next, the two teams will finish their series with a Saturday doubleheader in Canton, Mo., beginning at 12 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.