The Pioneers dominated Game 1, but let Game 2 slip away in a double header split in the final home games of the season against Graceland on Monday. In the first game,
Phillipe Graham didn't allow a baserunner until the top of the fourth, and by then MNU had built a 4-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, the Pioneers rallied for 6 runs on 5 hits to put the game away, and Graham picked up his sixth win of the season. The righthander struck out 11 and allowed just 1 hit in 6 innings, and
Clayton Brandt (1-2, R, 3B, RBI, BB, HBP, SB),
Jordan Eckley (2-3, R, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, Sac),
Carlos Vargas (2-4, R, 2 2B, RBI),
Seth Lieser (2-2, R, RBI, 2 BB), and
Jordan Jones (2-4, 2 RBI) led the offense.
In Game 2 (a 9 inning affair), Graceland scored 4 runs on 2 hits in the top of the second, but
Kelvin Perez's seventh homer of the season cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, RBIs from
Carlos Vargas and
Seth Lieser tied the game at 4, and the scored remained tie until the bottom of the seventh.
Clayton Brandt led off with a single, moved to third on an error, and scored on a
Jordan Eckley single to give MNU a 5-4 lead. RBIs from
Carlos Vargas and
Kelvin Perez extended the lead to 7-4, but the wheels fell off in the eighth. Graceland put together 8 runs on 6 hits to take a commanding lead, and MNU lost 12-7.
Trent Sullivan (1-2, 3 BB),
Carlos Vargas (4-5, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI),
Kelvin Perez (1-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, SF), and
Nelson Santiago (2-5, 2 2B) led the offense.
MNU is 27-17 (13-9 HAAC). The next game is a single 9-inning contest at William Woods on Tuesday at 3:00.
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