Fayette, Mo. - The Central Methodist Baseball program earned a 3-1 series victory over the Missouri Valley College Vikings this weekend at Estes Field.
The four-game series was orginally scheduled to be played at Missouri Valley College in Marshall but was moved to Estes Field due to weather concerns.
Central now stands at 28-12 and 18-4 in conference play, while the Vikings move to 11-26 and 7-17 in the Heart.
Game 1: Missouri Valley 10 - CMU 6
Central held a 6-5 lead over the Vikings after five and a half innings of work. However, Missouri Valley responded with a five run fifth in the bottom half of the frame, including a three-run home run from Jayden Mah to put the Vikings out in front 10-6.
CMU was unable to respond in the top of the seventh as the Vikings would go on to earn the series opening victory.
Joey Fitzgerald Jr. led the CMU offense, batting two-for-three with two home runs including a two-run homer to left field in the second inning. Alan West and Jeremy Conforti also picked up solo home runs for the Eagles in the third and fifth innings respectively.
Game 2: CMU 4 - Missouri Valley 0
CMU bounced back nicely in game two behind a masterful pitching performance from Marcus Pritchard. Pritchard tossed a complete game shut out, giving up just six hits and striking out five batters.
With the bases loaded, Joseph Weaterford was hit by a pitch to bring Merced home from third in the fourth inning. Leading 1-0 in the fifth, CMU plated three more runs, highlighted by an RBI double left field from Conforti.
Both Merced and Conforti picked up two hits in four at-bats, while both Conforti and West added doubles to their stat line in the 4-0 win. Altogether, Central plated four runs on six hits and four walks.
Game 3: CMU 7 - Missouri Valley 3
Game three saw the Eagles and Vikings even at 2-2 after two complete innings. CMU jumped out in front with a three run fourth inning, including a two-run home run to right field from Conforti. Following a two-out double from Nichols, Merced followed with a double to centerfield to score Nichols.
MVC scored an additional run in the fifth to trim Central's lead to 5-3. The Eagles would capitalize on errors by Missouri Valley's pitcher in the sixth to pad their lead to 7-3.
Altogether, Central scored its seven runs on 11 hits and a single error by the Vikings. Nichols finished the evening with three stolen bases in game three.
West served as a two-way player in game three, throwing every inning to earn his eighth win of 2023. The senior from Lewisville, Texas gave up just two earned runs with one walk and 10 strikeouts.
Weatherford picked up a two-run home run in the fourth inning, while Merced recorded a double.
Game 4: CMU 11 - Missouri Valley 0
The Eagles closed the series out with a decisive victory in the finale. Altogether, Central plated 11 runs on 12 hits, including four for extra bases. Merced hit back-to-back home runs, including a three-run blast to left field in the top of the second inning. He also added a triple to his stat line and finished the evening with four RBI.
Tanner Sears batted-two-for-three including an RBI-double and RBI-single.
Clayton Burke earned his sixth win of the year on the bump, tossing six complete innings and giving up no runs on just one hit. He finished the evening with five strikeouts. Larry Riddle Jr. came in relief for the final inning of work to preserve the shut out.
Up Next:
Central will host Park University for a four-game series beginning next Saturday, April 22 April 22 at 1:00 p.m. It also marks senior weekend for the Eagles.
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