Baseball Finishes Road Series at Park With Monday Doubleheader

Parkville, Mo., (April 6, 2026)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team finished a Heart of America Athletic Conference series against Park (Mo.) with a road doubleheader Monday afternoon in Parkville, Mo.  The Vikings fell in both games including a close loss in the opening game, 6-4.

Game one started with Missouri Valley threatening in the top of the first inning as Sophomore Second Baseman Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) led off with a single, stole second base, and moved to third on a wild pitch.  Freshman Third Baseman Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.) walked later in the at-bat, but the pair were left stranded.  The Vikings worked a double-play in the bottom half of the inning, started by Sophomore Shortstop Bradley Johnson (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) to keep the game scoreless.  The top of the second featured production from the plate for MVC, with a pair of two-out RBI base hits.  Suzuki drove in Freshman First Baseman Dalton Fristche (Perryville, Mo.) with a single, then Senior Leftfielder Shumpei Kaneko (Saitama, Japan) brought home Johnson and Suzuki with a double to put Missouri Valley in front, 3-0.  Freshman Pitcher JR Reed (Fort Worth, Texas) followed by facing the minimum in the bottom half of the second, striking out one batter.  Reed added a scoreless bottom of the third, helped by another double-play grounder hit to Johnson at shortstop.  Park cut into its deficit in the bottom of the fourth, using two hits and one error to produce two runs and make it a 3-2 score.  The Pirates followed with a rally in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs on four hits and one MVC error to pull ahead, 6-3.  The Vikings tried to start a two-out rally in the top of the sixth, as Johnson singled and Suzuki worked a walk.  However, the two were left on-base to end the threat.  Junior Rightfielder Alex Alton (Jacksonville, Mo.) started the top of the second inning with a single, then stole second base.  Junior Designated Hitter Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan) earned a walk, and MVC had the tying run at the play with one out.  Alton eventually came home on a wild pitch, but the Viking could not work any closer, dropping the game by a final score of 6-4.

Suzuki led with three hits, one run and one RBI.  Kaneko had one hit and two RBIs, while Johnson and Alton both added one hit and one run scored.  Reed went 4.1 innings with five hits and two earned runs to go with two strikeouts.

Park went out to an early lead in the second game, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning.  Junior Pitcher Kaiden Kelly (Sparta, Mo.) worked back in the bottom of the second, striking out one batter and taking down the Pirates in order to keep Missouri Valley in a 4-0 deficit.  Senior Rightfielder Colton Campbell (Aledo, Texas) started the top of the third with a single, but was left stranded to end the at-bat.  Park added to its lead through the rest of the game, scoring multiple runs over the next four innings.  The Vikings were unable to rally in the game, and fell by a 13-0 score.

Suzuki, Campbell, Johnson and Sophomore Centerfielder Devin Norwood (Pearl, Miss.) each had one hit.  

Missouri Valley sits at 3-33 overall and 3-13 in the Heart.  Park moves to 15-19 on the season and 5-11 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking baseball team will travel to St. Louis, Mo., for a Heart series against Missouri Baptist.  Series begins with a Friday doubleheader, with the first game starting 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.