Baseball Falls Twice Against Clarke

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Mount Mercy (28-11, 15-3) faced Clarke (20-18, 14-4) in a pair of competitive matchups over the weekend, ultimately falling short in both games with scores of 7–3 and 13–7.

In the first game, Mount Mercy opened the scoring when Kade Knock tripled down the right field line and then scored on a groundout by Christian Graves, cutting Clarke's early lead to 2–1. The Mustangs tied the game in the second inning with a solo home run from Nick Meyer. They took a brief lead in the third inning when Derek Einertson doubled and scored on a single from Lane Spieker. However, Clarke responded with a five-run fourth inning, highlighted by an RBI single from Alex Cashman and a triple from Brady Lord, concluding the inning with a 7–3 advantage that they maintained through the end of the game.

Meyer led the Mustangs with a home run and an RBI, while Knock added a run and a triple. Einertson contributed with a double and a stolen base. Tyler Nagelbach took the loss on the mound, pitching five innings and allowing six earned runs.

In the second game, Clarke took an early lead with two runs in the second inning, as Jordan Breen scored after a double. Mount Mercy rallied in the third, scoring six runs, with contributions from Einertson, Knock, and a two-run double by Drew Terpins, which put them ahead 6-2. However, Clarke answered back in the fifth with six runs, reclaiming the lead at 8-6, and then extended their advantage in the seventh inning, highlighted by Omari Barksdale's three-RBI double, concluding the game with a score of 13-7.

Graves stood out for the Mustangs, contributing two RBIs and a double, while Spieker added one run, two hits, and a stolen base. Einertson scored twice and drew a walk, and Terpins had two RBIs with two doubles. Barksdale was a key player for Clarke, driving in three runs, while Hefel scored three times and recorded a double. Jaxon Brooks and Cole Swartz also made significant contributions with multiple hits and RBIs.

The Mustangs' overall record now stands at 28-11 with a conference mark of 15-3, while Clarke improved to 20-18 and 14-4 in conference play.

The Mustangs will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday against Clarke, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.