Baseball Drops Pair of Close Games to Mayville State

Marshall, Mo., (Feb. 28, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team finished a home series against Mayville (N.D.) State with a Saturday afternoon doubleheader.  The Vikings dropped a low-scoring first game, 4-1, then fell in extra-innings in game two, 4-3.

Game one opened with Sophomore Pitcher Phillip Rushman (Lincoln, Neb.) working around a pair of walks in the top of the first inning, striking out two batters and leaving both runners stranded.  Mayville followed in the top of the second inning to produce two hits for the game's first run.  Rushman ended the Comet at-bat with a strikeout to keep Missouri Valley at a 1-0 deficit.  The Vikings got that run back in the bottom half of the inning, as Freshman Third Baseman Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.) led off with a single and Senior Leftfielder Shumpei Kaneko (Saitama, Japan) walked.  Freshman Designated Hitter Charles Bedosky (Kansas City, Mo.) then hit a double to center field, and Nickerson scored to tie the contest at 1-1.  Rushman kept Mayville State scoreless over the next three innings, striking out another two batters.  With the teams still tied at 1-1 in the top of the sixth, the Comets threatened, as a batter was hit and a single and an error put base runners in scoring position with two outs.  Freshman Pitcher Skylar Bove (Montesano, Wash.) got out of the inning without giving up a run, stranding the two runners on-base.  Missouri Valley was taken down in order in the bottom half of the sixth, and the game went into the seventh inning at the 1-1 score.  Mayville State rallied in the top of the seventh using a three-run homer to move in front.  The Vikings were taken down in order in the bottom of the seventh, and fell by a final score of 4-1.

Junior Catcher Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan) led with two hits, while Nicker had one hit and one run scored.  Bedosky finished with one hit and one RBI.  Rushman had a no-decision after going five innings, giving up two hits and one earned run with five strikeouts.

The second game began with Mayville putting its leadoff batter aboard, but Pitcher induced a double-play ball to Sophomore Shortstop Devin Norwood (Pearl, Miss.) to help Missouri Valley get out of the inning without giving up any runs.  The Vikings followed with production from the plate in the bottom half of the inning, as Norwood led off with a single, and Kaneko followed with a walk.  Sophomore Second Baseman Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) then singled to load the bases, and Nickerson brought home a pair of runners with a single to center, as MVC went on top, 2-0.  Freshman Pitcher Colton Myers (Orangefield, Texas) got out of a jam in the top of the second inning, ending the inning with a strikeout to strand two runners on-base.  Mayville cut into its deficit in the third, using three hits and one MVC error to bring home two runs and tie the contest at 2-2.  The Viking infielders came up with another play in the top of the fourth inning to end a Comet threat, as a grounder to Nickerson at third turned into an inning-ending double-play to keep the teams tied.  

The next scoring chance for either team came in the top of the fifth, as Mayville State worked a walk and a double to put two runners into scoring position.  A balk resulted in the runner from third coming home to make it a 3-2 score.  The Vikings responded in the bottom of the inning, producing with two outs.  Both Norwood and Kaneko earned walks, and Hattori brought home Norwood on a single to tie the teams once again, 3-3.  Freshman Pitcher Justin Case (Fulton, Mo.) took down the Comets in order in the sixth, then induced another double-play grounder, this time started by Suzuki to get out of a jam in the top of the seventh.  Missouri Valley could not produce a base runner in the bottom half of the seventh, and the game went into an eighth inning, still tied.  Mayville started the top half of the eighth with a single, and that leadoff runner eventually came home to give the team a 4-3 advantage.  Suzuki worked a one-out walk in the bottom of the inning, and MVC had the winning run at the plate.  However, the next batter grounded out, and the game ended on a fly-out to leftfield as Missouri Valley fell, 4-3.

Suzuki had two hits, while Nickerson added one hit and two RBI's.  Norwood had one hit and two runs scored, and Hattori had one hit and one RBI.  Case pitched the final 3.2 innings, giving up three hits and one earned run with one strikeout.

Missouri Valley falls to 0-14 overall, while Mayville State moves to 7-4.

Up next, the Viking baseball team will play a non-conference 9-inning game at Columbia (Mo.), Tuesday 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.