Mustangs Fall to Culver-Stockton to Open the Weekend

CANTON, Mo. - The Mount Mercy baseball program fell in the opening doubleheader of the weekend as Culver-Stockton took both games by scores of 6-4 and 7-4.

Game One

The Mustangs (12-16) saw hits from five different players, as Trent Hoogerwerf was the only Mustang to record at least two hits in the loss, finishing 2-3 from the plate.

The Wildcats struck first, plating three runs in the first inning, two of which came on a Ryan Osso single. The first Mustang run to come across the plate came courtesy of a Kyle Moeder single, scoring Jeremy Figueroa. Following another CSC run in the second, the Mustangs clawed back with two in top of the third, as Figueroa singled to score Matthew Murphy, and Bryce Brown scoring on a wild pitch.

Culver-Stockton responded with a pair of runs in the fourth to stretch the Wildcat lead back to three runs. In the top of the sixth, Kyle Lehmann homered on a solo shot, as the game would end with a 6-4 Culver-Stockton advantage.

Anthony Ribes earned his third win of the year for the Wildcats, pitching six innings and allowing four runs while striking out four. Davin Meier earned the save, closing the game in the seventh. Matt Irvine was tabbed with the loss, pitching just 1.1 innings and allowing four runs.

Game Two

Four Mustangs would record a hit in the nightcap, as Murphy, Brandon Bickford, Bryce Brown, and Moeder would each record hits, with Brown and Murphy driving in runs, led by Murphy's game high of two.

The Mustangs jumped out to a hot start, quickly taking a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Josh Notriano came across to score the first run of the game on an error, and Murphy followed that up with a two-run shot to make it a three run lead. Brown would follow that up with an RBI single, scoring Bickford as the Mustangs extended the lead to four.

Culver-Stockton would claw back with three runs over the next three innings to narrow the Mustang lead to just one. In the bottom of the fourth, Tristan Meny singled and drove in a run as Culver-Stockton took their first lead of the game. Following a bases loaded walk drawn by Kannon Kirk, Jordan Scott drove in the final run of the game on a sacrifice fly as the Wildcats took the nightcap by a score of 7-4.

Clayton Woods earned the win, pitching all seven innings and allowing four runs while striking out six. Owen Brauch was tabbed with the loss, pitching three innings in relief and allowing three earned runs and striking out one.

The Mustangs will return to the diamond to close out the weekend series with Culver-Stockton tomorrow with the doubleheader slated to start at noon.