Mustangs sweep four-game series with Vikings

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The Mount Mercy baseball team outscored Grand View, 40-14, over the course of four games and swept the Vikings in this weekend's Heart of America Athletic Conference series at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex.

The Mustangs opened the series with 5-1 and 11-1 victories on Sunday. Home runs by Brett Swalve and Kyle Moeder and RBI doubles from David Mitchell and Andrue Henry provided offensive support to Kobey Schlotman (4-0), who didn't allow an earned run while scattering three hits over 4-2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked four. Kale Orman threw 2-1/3 scoreless innings for his first save.

Game two was decided early as Mount Mercy used a five-run first inning to jump in front and never looked back. Swalve and Evan Paulus drilled two-run doubles and Sam Stonskas had an RBI single in that big first frame. Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi blasted a solo homer in the second, then in the third, Casey Sole had a run-scoring single, Dalton Hews collected an RBI double, and Souza-Paaluhi had a sacrifice fly to make it 9-1.

A Brandon Bickford base hit drove in a run before another sacrifice fly by Sole wrapped up the scoring in the fourth inning. It was more than enough for Nathan Pardini (2-0), who surrendered one earned run on three hits while striking out eight with a base on balls in 5-1/3 innings. TJ Fleita added two shutout innings out of the bullpen.

The Mustangs got down early in Monday's opener but rallied in a big way to defeat the Vikings, 17-9. Trailing 4-1 heading into the third inning, Mount Mercy scored four runs in each of the next three frames then added four more in the seventh. They tallied 14 hits, including three each by Souza-Paaluhi and Swalve, who stayed hot through the final two games of the series. Tyler Dahm and Zach Barden also added two hits apiece.

Swalve's three-hit game included a home run and two doubles as well as four RBI. Dahm and Moeder also homered and Barden collected three RBI. Joe Gabel allowed four earned runs and 10 hits but struck out five and didn't walk a batter while improving to 2-0 on the season.

The Mustangs also trailed in the series finale but used another four-run inning to earn a 7-3 victory. Souza-Paaluhi homered and drove in two runs, Moeder went deep again and added a double, and Hews powered an RBI double for Mount Mercy. Ryne Schooley (2-1) got the win, Henry tossed a pair of scoreless innings, and Jacob Lodge picked up his second save.

The Mustangs (16-6, 7-1 Heart) host Waldorf for a single, nine-inning non-conference game on Wednesday at 4:00 pm before Peru State visits the Plaster Athletic Complex for a four-game Heart series on Saturday and Sunday. Doubleheaders each day begin at 1:00 pm.