FAYETTE, Mo. – After struggling to find a rhythm in the first game of a double-header against Clarke on Friday afternoon, the Eagles responded in game two with a dominant 9-1 victory.

GAME ONE (8-5 loss):

Kyle Fulton (SR/Monroe City, Mo.) didn't have his best stuff on the mound, taking just the second loss of his CMU career after pitching 3+ innings.

Central fell behind 3-0 before fighting back with two runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Riley Richarz (SR/Milwaukee, Wis.) picked up an RBI on an infield single and Sergio Macias (JR/Laredo, Tex.) followed suit with an RBI single to left.

The wheels fell off in the top of the 4th inning as the Pride pushed five runs across to take a six-run lead.

The deficit proved too much to overcome. An RBI single from Max McCay (JR/Carlisle, Iowa) and a sacrifice fly by Julio Canales (JR/Canovanas, Puerto Rico) cut the lead in the bottom of the 4th. Canales picked up another RBI on a single in the 6th, but the Eagles wouldn't get any closer.

Richarz and Logan Haring (JR/DeKalb, Ill.) led Central with three hits apiece, part of a 13-hit outburst by the Eagles.

Alex Moore (JR/Santee, Calif.) pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relief to keep Central in the game. He picked up four strikeouts while not allowing a hit.

GAME TWO (9-1 win):

The Eagles had some pep in their step right out of the gate in the finale, perhaps thanks to watching the men's soccer team receive its national championship rings between games.

To start the scoring, Canales came home after an errant throw to first on a bunt by Macias. Adrian Martinez (SO/Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) followed that up with a two-run double down the left-field line to get things rolling. Martinez then scored on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a four-run cushion after one inning of play.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Martinez smashed a no-doubt-about-it dinger over the big left-field wall for his 7th home run of the season, giving the Eagles a six-run lead.

After Clarke scratched a run across in the 4th, Central responded with three runs in the next inning. Back-to-back doubles from Haring and Z Westley (JR/Midland, Mich.) scored one run. Westley then stole third base after getting a spectacular jump, scoring on an errant throw down to third by the Clarke catcher.

Later in the 5th, Jose Mieses (JR/Santo Domingo, Domincan Republic) reached first on an infield single, advancing all the way to third on a wild throw. He later scored on a wild pitch to give the Eagles their final run of the contest.

Once again, Mason Schwellenbach (JR/Saginaw, Mich.) dazzled on the mound. Over seven innings of work, Schwellenbach surrendered only four hits and one run while striking out 11. He moved to 8-0 on the season with the win, picking up his 5th double-digit strikeout performance.

UP NEXT:

The Eagles are set to conclude their regular season slate tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm with a double-header at home against Mount Mercy.