Vaske's Walk-Off Homer Lifts Mustangs to Friday Sweep of Baker

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Mount Mercy baseball team was back at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex on Friday for more Heart of America play, as the squad swept Baker by scores of 7-1 and 6-5.

Game One

The Mustangs saw eight hits in the game, six of which came from the bats of Matthew Murphy, Trent Hoogerwerf, and Drake Frazier, with Hoogerwerf and Kyle Lehmann recording multiple RBIs in the win.

Riley Rundquist drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the first as the Mustangs opened the scoring early. Hoogerwerf drove in two of his three runs in the opener on a single to right field in the bottom of the second, as Jeremy Figueroa and Drake Frazier scored. Lehmann drove in his two runs across the plate on the very next plate appearance on a single to center field, as the Mustangs jumped out to a five run lead after two innings of play.

Baker would drive in their lone run of the contest in the sixth as Brayden Vawter scored on a wild pitch. Mount Mercy would waste no time getting that run back, as Hoogerwerf drove in another run on a double to left field, while Brandon Bickford drove in a bases loaded walk to round out the scoring.

Ashton Schwab earned the win, pitching 5.2 innings while allowing seven hits, one run, and striking out seven. Owen Brauch earned his first save, pitching 1.1 innings, coming in with the tying run on deck. Caden Pogue was tabbed with the loss, giving up five runs in the game.

Game Two

Figueroa, Vaske, Hoogerwerf, and Moeder each tallied two hits in the game, accounting for eight of the team's nine hits. The top four batters in the lineup, along with Jaden Hackbarth, would record an RBI, with no RBI being more impactful than Joel Vaske's.

Vaske's RBI came in the bottom of the seventh inning, as he was batting in the leadoff spot and blasted a ball over the left centerfield fence to give the Mustangs a walk-off winner. Hoogerwerf drove in a run on a single to right center, driving in Figueroa. Figueroa would single to right, scoring Kyle Moeder. Hackbarth and Matthew Murphy would both drive in runs on sacrifice flies, while Bickford would steal third and advance on a throwing error from the Baker catcher to account for the Mustang offense. 

Baker would trail by three heading into the top of the sixth, but timely hitting followed by a few passed balls was enough for Baker to tie the game before Vaske walked it off in the seventh.

Zach Barden earned his first win of the season, pitching 1.1 innings and not allowing a hit while striking out four. Erik Kelly was tabbed with the loss, pitching three innings and allowing the game's final run.

The two teams will be back in action to round out the weekend at the Plaster Athletic Complex for a doubleheader on Saturday.