MARSHALL, Mo. ---- The number 24 nationally ranked Central Methodist baseball team swept the final doubleheader in the Heart of America Athletic Conference series with Missouri Valley College for a four-game sweep. CMU took game one 7-4 in game one, and won 10-3 in game two.
NOTES
• Central Methodist improved to 27-8 (16-4) on the year.
• Missouri Valley fell to 13-21 (4-14).
• Tyler Hull picked up the win on the mound in game one to improve to 3-0 on the year. With the victory, Hull surpassed Vaughn Loomis (1988-1992) to become the career wins leader with 19.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Fernando Villegas continued to have a good series at the plate with four hits on the day. He added an RBI and a run scored in each game with a double in game two.
• Jared Johnson finished the second game 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a stolen base. He also picked up two RBIs in game one.
• Logan Haring finished the day with four RBIs, and DeAndre Smith picked up two in game one with his sixth home run of the year.
• Hull picked up the win in game one with 5.2 innings pitched and added three strikeouts with just two earned runs. Turner Middendorf added 1.1 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts as well. Randy Perez improved to 5-1 on the year in game two. He threw five innings of shutout baseball with four strikeouts. Cole Nonweiler added an inning of hitless relief with a strikeout.
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME 1
• After a scoreless opening frame, Smith connected on his sixth long ball of the year in the top of the second to give the Eagles an early 2-0 lead.
• Central Methodist added an additional run in the top of the third on a single from Haring that plated Villegas.
• Central Methodist extended its lead to 4-0 in the top of the fifth after a single from Villegas brought home Alcala.
• Central Methodist continued to add offensive pressure with three runs in the top of the sixth. A Norris double brought home Rodriquez, and an error scored DeLaCruz and Norris to put the Eagles ahead 7-0.
• Missouri Valley answered with four runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to three, 7-4.
• Middendorf picked up two strikeouts in the final frame to preserve the 7-4 victory for Central Methodist.
HOW IT HAPPENED GAME 2
• Central Methodist put up a crooked number on the scoreboard in the opening frame with five runs on three hits. Johnson and Henfling each scored after bases loaded walks, and Perez came home on a wild pitch. A Thomas sacrifice fly plated Haring, and a DeLaCruz single brought home Rodriquez for an early 5-0 lead.
• Neither team had much going offensively in the second and third, but Central Methodist added three runs in the top of the fourth to lead 8-0. A pair of wild pitches allowed Johnson and DeLaCruz to score, and a sacrifice fly from Haring brought home Henfling.
• Perez continued to shut down Missouri Valley as Central Methodist added two runs in the top of the sixth. A Villegas double plated Johnson, and a Haring single scored Villegas to put the Eagles ahead 10-0 heading to the final frame.
• Missouri Valley scored three runs in the final frame, however Central Methodist would hold on to win 10-3, and earn a Heart series sweep over the Vikings.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Central Methodist tallied 17 runs on the day with 17 hits.
• The Central Methodist pitching staff tallied 12 strikeouts in both games with 4 from Perez in game two.
• The Eagles added four extra base hits in the doubleheader with two doubles in game two.
UP NEXT
• The Eagles will return to action on Tuesday, April 10, when they host (RV) Columbia College for a single game at Estes Field that is set to begin at 6 p.m.
