Mustangs Split High Scoring Doubleheader with Park

PARKVILLE, Mo. - The Mustangs baseball team split a high scoring doubleheader with Park, losing game one by a score of 20-13, before taking down the Pirates in game two, 10-7.

Game One

The Mustangs saw four hitters record a pair of hits in the Heart opener, as Jaden Hackbarth, Jeremy Figueroa, Tyler Pecson, and Nick Meyer each tallied two hits. Derek Einertson would lead the way on offense, driving in a team high three runs in the loss.

Park would get the scoring startedi n hte first on an RBI single by Jake Lufft. The Pirates catcher, Ricardo Hernandez, was an unstoppable force in game one, extending the lead on his first of two homers of the day, driving two of his first six RBIs. The Mustangs would finally get on the board as Einertson would double down the left field line, scoring Figueroa and Michael Rivero. Josh Notriano would then tie the game at four following a single up the middle, scoring Einertson and Bryce Brown.

Hernandez would blast his second long ball of the game in the third, scoring Lufft in what was a carbon copy of his first homer of the day. The Pirates would then extend the lead to four after a throwing error on the Mustangs scored two. However, a Park fielding error scored a pair of Mustangs to trim the lead in half in the top of the fourth. The Pirates added four more in the bottom half of the fourth, capped off by an Evan Johnson sac fly.

In the sixth, Hackbarth drove in a run on a single to left, while Figueroa would single through the left side to make it a four run game. Brown would then drive ina run, followed by an Einertson RBI to trim the lead to two. The Pirates would then strike for eight in the bottom of the sixth, as Hernandez would drive in two more, ending the day with six RBIs. The Mustangs offense wasn't able to cut much into the deficity, ultimately falling by a score of 20-13.

Raul Garcia earned the win, pitching four innings while allowing four earned runs and striking out four. Owen Coffman was tabbed with the loss, pitching three innings and allowing eight runs while striking out four.

Game Two

The Mustangs were able to bounce back in game two, taking down the Pirates, 10-7. Hackbarth would lead the charge on offense going 1-4 with two RBIs. Garrett Dennis would lead the team in hits, contributing a pair of hits to pace the offense.

Hernandez would start the scoring for the Pirates in the bottom of the first, singling to left while driving in a run. In the second for the Mustangs, Josh Notriano would steal second base, and heads up awareness from Einertson would lead to Einertson scoring on the throw to second base to tie the game. Rivero would then add his name to the scoresheet, driving in Notriano to give the Mustangs the lead. 

In the second for Park, Alex Rodriguez singled to right field, driving in a run, and Hernandez would belt his third homer of the day, scoring Lufft to make it a 4-2 Pirate lead. The Pirates would then add another run on a Houston Penrod single. The Mustangs would answer with four in the top of the fourth, capped off by Hackbarth's two RBI triple to right center, scoring Drew Terpins and Rivero. The Pirates would respond with one of their own in the fourth, tying the game at six.

The Mustangs would then get two in the fifth on an Einertson RBI double and a Tyler Pecson single to right, making it an 8-6 game, but Park would tally one in the fifth to trim the lead to one. The Mustangs offense would be capped off by a Figueroa RBI single in which Terpins and Rivero would come across the plate, ending the game with a 10-7 scoreline.

Jake Weissenberger earned the win, his second of the season, pitching one inning and not allowing a hit. Cole Conner earned his first save, pitching two innings of no hit ball and striking out three. Hank Holdenreid was tabbed with the loss, pitching one inning and allowing two earned runs.

The Mustangs and Pirates will return to the diamond tomorrow, playing a doubleheader to close the series starting at noon.