The Central Methodist University baseball team rallied in the fifth inning of game one to earn a 6-5 win, but came up short in a 6-3 loss in game two as the Eagles split a Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader at NAIA preseason No. 22 William Jewell College Tuesday.

William Jewell scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning of game one to take an early 3-0 lead. Central Methodist answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third, but the Cardinals added a run in the bottom of the inning to make the score 4-2. Each team scored one run in the fourth inning. Trailing 5-3, Central Methodist scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to take its first lead of the game. The Eagles held William Jewell scoreless in the Cardinals' final three at-bats to earn the win. Junior Freddie Cabrera (Isabela, Puerto Rico) earned the win for CMU, allowing five runs on six hits in six innings of work. Junior AJ Pfeifer (Godfrey, Ill.) and sophomore Dalton Henry (Columbia, Mo.) combined to pitch the final inning for CMU, with Henry picking up the save. Sophomore Steve Bazner (Waterford, Mich.) led the Eagles offensively, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored in the game. Senior Adam Arnette (Pacific, Mo.) went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while senior Thomas Brown (Columbia, Mo.) also went 2-for-4 with a double in the game.

In game two, William Jewell again took an early lead, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Central Methodist rallied with two runs in the second and another in the third to get to within 4-3, but the Cardinals scored one run each in the bottom of the third and fifth innings to pick up the 6-3 win. Bazner again led the Eagles offensively, going 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI. Junior Bryan Dominick (Waukesha, Wis.) took the loss for Central Methodist, giving up five runs on six hits in four innings. Freshman Alex Hunter (Kansas City, Mo.) pitched the final two innings for CMU, allowing one run on one hit.

Central Methodist moved to 9-16 overall and 5-7 in the HAAC with the split, while William Jewell now stands at 14-9 on the season and 5-5 in the conference. The Eagles are scheduled to travel to Springfield, Mo., for a four-game series at Evangel University Friday and Saturday. The two teams will play a doubleheader each day beginning at 1 p.m.