Bats Come Alive to Lead Mount Mercy to Sweep Benedictine

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Mount Mercy bats shined on Monday, securing a doubleheader sweep and a four game series sweep of Benedictine, taking down the Ravens by scores of 6-5 and 6-4.

Game One

The Mustang (8-10, 4-0 Heart) offense was sparked by a big performance from Ryan Knowlton. The designated hitter went 2-2 with a walk while also driving in three runs to lead the offense. The team also saw three different players record RBI's in the win.

The Ravens (9-15) offense got started early on a three-run shot over the batters eye in the first inning from Jack Harpole, which drove in Domonic Ferrari and Hunter Moffett. The next half inning, the favorable midwestern wind helped the Mustangs, as Knowlton would blast a three-run shot of his own, scoring Riley Rundquist an Brandon Bickford, squaring the game at three. The Mustangs weren't done scoring in the first inning as Kyle Lehmann gave Mount Mercy the lead on a double to right field, which scored Trent Hoogerwerf, as the game would be 4-3 in favor of the Mustangs after one inning.

In the late stages of the game, Brice Martin put the ball over the fence for Benedictine as the Ravens jumped back in front with a two-run shot, making it 5-4. With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Matt Murphy would send a ball in the right centerfield gap, scoring Jaden Hackbarth to tie the game at five. With two outs, and runners on the corners, Joel Vaske stepped up to the plate and belted a ball to right field, getting over the fielder's head and dropping for a walk-off single to seal the third win in a row.

Owen Brauch earned his second win on the season, pitching 1.2 innings in relief and only allowing one hit while striking out three. Jackson Sarver was tabbed with the loss, pitching 6.1 innings in relief while allowing two runs and striking out four.

Game Two

The series finale saw plenty of long balls escaping the Plaster Athletic Complex yard as there were a total of five home runs hit in the second game, four of which came courtesy of Mount Mercy bats. All six runs that Mount Mercy scored in the nightcap came courtesy of the long ball.

Of the four home runs from Mustang hitters, three of those home runs came in the leadoff spot in the inning. Tyler Dahm hit the first of his home runs on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first inning, squaring the game at one. Just two innings later, Jaden Hackbarth would blast the second pitch of the inning over the fence for a solo shot, once again tying up the ballgame, this time at two.

Later in the third inning, Joel Vaske would hit a three run shot to center field, scoring Matt Murphy and Ryan Knowlton, giving the Mustangs a three-run edge after three innings played. In the sixth inning, once again in the leadoff spot, Tyler Dahm struck again, pelting a ball to left field for the Mustangs thrid leadoff homer in the game, and Dahm's second, stretching the Mustang advantage to four. In the seventh, Benedictine's Ashton Neuman drove the ball to right field which slimmed the lead to two, but it wasn't enough as Mount Mercy cruised to the series sweep.

Brady Schiesl earned his first win on the season, pitching 4.2 innings while striking out four and allowing one earned run. Ben Bowman was tabbed with the loss, pitching 2.2 innings while allowing five earned runs on three homers and striking out five.

The Mustangs will be on the road for the rest of March, taking on Graceland next weekend.