It took 10 innings for MNU to win Game 1 vs. Missouri Valley, and the Pioneers blew out the Vikings in Game 2 on Tuesday. Valley scored in the top of the first with 2 outs, then put up a 3-run homer with 2 outs in the third to take a 4-0 lead. The Pioneers couldn't get anything going offensively until the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third with 1 out,
Kelvin Perez doubled home 2 to cut the deficit in half. Valley followed with 2 errors to allow MNU to tie the game, and no one scored again until the tenth.
In the top of the inning, Valley loaded the bases with 1 out and scored on a passed ball. Lenzie Foley struck out the next two hitters to escape further damage, and Logan Tills led off the bottom of the inning with a solo homer to tie it. With 2 outs and Jason Jones on first, Jeremie Gonzalez ripped a gapper to right-center, and Jones came all the way around to score the winning run. Foley got the victory with 3 innings of relief and 6 strikeouts. And Logan Tills (2-4, R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB), Jeremie Gonzalez (2-5, R, 3B, RBI), and Kelvin Perez (1-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI) drove in runs for the Pioneers.
UPDATE: In a game MNU finished after a protest was upheld, the Pioneers repeated the original result in a 7-6 victory over Missouri Valley on Monday. The game was originally played on April 12 and MNU overcame a 1-run deficit in the tenth to win 6-5. Monday's re-play brought the game back to the top of the tenth with 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd and a full count on Valley's hitter. The first pitch missed and the batter walked to load the bases, and a sacrifice fly brought more controversy. The throw from center beat the runner, but obstruction was called and the run was granted to put Valley up 6-4. In the bottom of the tenth,
Logan Tills was hit by a pitch and
Jason Jones and
Nelson Santiago walked to load the bases.
Robert Berning followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-5 and move the runner to third.
Jeremie Gonzalez drilled a single to right to tie the game, and
Kelvin Perez lined the first pitch to center to bring home the winning run.
Jeremie Gonzalez (2-5, R, RBI), and
Kelvin Perez (2-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI) had 2 hits apiece.
In Game 2, MNU jumped all over Valley in the first inning. After 2 batters, the Pioneers had runners on first and third with no outs. A popout and a strikeout were followed by a wild pitch and 5 consecutive hits to make it 6-0, and
Logan Tills hit a 3-run shot to cap a 9-run inning. Valley answered with 1 in the second and 3 in the third, but the bullpen held them scoreless the rest of the way.
Tyler Taute pitched 4 innings of 2-hit relief for the victory. And
Jordan Eckley (1-3, 3 R, HBP, SB),
Logan Tills (3-4, 3 R, HR, 4 RBI),
Robert Berning (2-4, RBI),
Nelson Santiago (2-4, R),
Christian Quinones (3-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, SF, SB),
Kelvin Perez (2-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI), and
Lenzie Foley (2-4, R, RBI) led the offense.
#15 MNU is 31-8 (14-6 Heart). The next series is a 4-game set at 1st-place Avila (25-17, 16-4) with double headers on Friday at Saturday starting at 1pm.
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