Mustangs and Bees Split High Scoring Shootouts

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Mustang baseball team split Friday's doubleheader with St. Ambrose in a pair of high-scoring shootouts, winning game one 20-18 before falling in game two, 11-10.

Game One

The Mustangs were able to push across 20 runs on 12 hits, as Nick Meyer, Tyler Pecson, Jeremy Figueroa, and Cedric Dunnwald each recorded two hits, with Meyer and Dunnwald dealing most of the damage on offense, combining for 11 RBI's, led by Meyer, who had a career high seven. Not only is that a career high, it also ranks second in school history for RBIs in a single game.

Meyer drove in his first run of the game on a sacrfice fly to center, scoring Josh Notriano. SAU would take the lead in the third as Joey Fitzgerald doubled to left center, driving in a pair. The Bees would tack on another as Jeremy Conforti drove in a run, making it a 3-1 game.

In the fourth, Derek Einertson drove in two of his three RBIs on a double to right field, scoring Notraino and Bryce Brown. Drew Turner would then drive in a run after reaching on a fielders choice, as the Mustangs took the lead back. The Bees would then explode for five runs in the fifth, on three RBI hits. The Mustang offense would find their spark later in the game, scoring 16 of their 20 runs over the final two innings, scoring seven more in the fifth.

Bryce Brown and Einertson would each drive in runs, before Cedric Dunnwald used the winds to his advantage, blasting a grand slam over the right center field fence, making it an 11-8 game, capping off the seven run inning. After SAU tacked on three more in the sixth, the Mustangs would have their best inning of the season, driving in nine. Meyer drove in three more runs on a homer to right center, before driving in three more on a double to left center, capping off a six RBI inning for Meyer alone.

The Bees, down by nine heading into the final frame, would make it a game, driving in six runs, but ultimately it wasn't enough as the Mustangs held on as the final score would end at 20-18. Jake Weissenberger earned the win, pitching just shy of two innings while allowing six earned runs. Nathaniel Johnson was tabbed with the loss for SAU, pitching one inning and allowing five earned runs.

Game Two

The second game was another shootout, with the Bees edging MMU, 11-10 in 12 innings. Six different Mustangs, led by Bryce Brown, would tally multiple hits, as Brown would lead the way, going 3-6. 

The Mustangs would jump out to a four run lead, as Garrett Dennis drove in Meyer for the first run of the game, and Jaden Hackbarth would cap off the four run inning in a double steal, swiping home plate. Fitzgerald would drive in the first Bee run on a double to right center, before the Mustangs would add on another in the third on a Dunnwald single to first.

The Bees would deal most of their damage in the fifth, capped off by Conforti's two run shot. The Mustangs would respond with three in the seventh on three RBI doubles, taking the lead by one. The Bees would then add two more on an RBI single, before the Mustangs responded with a fielders choice that drove in a run, tying the game.

In extras, Quinn Flanagan reached on a fielders choice in the 12th that would drive in a run, ultimately sealing the win. Brad Niedzwiedz earned the win, pitching two innings and not allowing a run. Michael Schaul was tabbed with the loss, giving up the run in extra innings.

The Mustangs and Bees will return to the diamond on Sunday, finishing the weekend slate with a doubleheader, with first pitch set for 12 p.m.