Yellowjackets win weekend series

LAMONI, Iowa -- Mount Mercy entered the weekend with plans to work its way back up the league standings, but Graceland had other ideas and the Yellowjackets took three of four games in the Heart of America Athletic Conference series.

The Mustangs were held to just three hits -- singles by Evan Paulus and Brandon Bickford and a double by Brett Swalve -- in a 1-0 loss in Friday's series opener. Kobey Schlotman (6-1) suffered his first loss of the season despite surrendering only four hits. He allowed one earned run while striking out eight and walking two.

Mount Mercy held a 2-1 lead late in game two thanks to a two-run single by Swalve, but Graceland scored twice in the bottom of the fifth and held on for the 3-2 victory. Drake Frazier had two of the team's six hits. Swalve, Tyler Dahm, Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi, and Kyle Moeder each went 1-for-3. Nathan Pardini (4-2) gave up three earned runs on four hits with a strikeout and a pair of walks. Kale Orman pitched a hitless, scoreless 1-1/3 innings in relief.

After a perfect two games in the field, the Mustang defense committed three errors which led to six unearned runs in Saturday's 7-1 loss in game three of the series. The bats didn't come through either as two Yellowjacket pitchers held Mount Mercy to five hits. Jackson Bennett (0-2) allowed five hits in 4-1/3 innings, allowing just one earned run with strikeouts and two bases on balls.

The Mustangs salvaged the final game of the series, thanks to a three-run homer by Justin Janssen and a complete-game, three-hitter from Joe Gabel (4-1). Gabel struck out 10 and walked just one. Janssen went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Dahm, Swalve, and Dalton Hews had Mount Mercy's other three hits.

Mount Mercy (24-15, 13-9 Heart) closes out the regular season with an 11-game homestand beginning on Thursday when the Mustangs host a conference doubleheader with Peru State (18-22, 16-6 Heart) at 4:00 pm at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex.