Less than 8 hours after MNU finished a long day at the ballpark, the Pioneers faced Baker for the chance to play CMU in the tournament final in Joplin. MNU jumped all over the Wildcats with 3 runs in the first, another in the second, and 2 more in the third to take 6-2 lead, but Baker fought back with 5 runs to take a 7-6 lead after 4 innings.
Kelvin Perez hit a solo homer to tie the game in the fifth, and
Jeremie Gonzalez took over on the mound. He held Baker scoreless for the rest of the game, including escaping a bases-load no-out jam with 3 strikeouts, and the offense took the lead in the top of the seventh. Four runs on 4 hits made it 11-7, and Gonzalez tacked on another with a solo homer in the eighth. MNU held on to win 12-7.
Jeremie Gonzalez got the win in relief with 5 innings of 1-hit 4-strikeout shutout ball. And
Jordan Eckley (4-5, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, SB),
Jeremie Gonzalez (3-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI),
Kelvin Perez (2-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB), and
Christian Quinones (2-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB) had multi-hit games.
In their fourth 9-inning game in 27 hours, MNU jumped out to a 4-0 lead vs. CMU in the championship round. The Pioneers needed to beat the Eagles twice to secure the title, and
Matt Fischer was called upon to start. With just 3 innings under his belt this season, Fischer got through 5 innings and left with a 4-3 lead. But CMU proved to be the comeback team of the tournament, winning all 4 of their contests after trailing by 4. The Eagles scored 2 in the sixth to tie it, then rallied for 4 in the seventh to seize control. The Pioneers got 1 back in the eighth, but CMU matched it in the bottom of the inning.
Jason Jones homered with 2 outs in the ninth, his fifth of the tournament, but the Pioneers lost 9-6.
Logan Tills (2-5, 2 R, 2B),
Jason Jones (2-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB),
Robert Berning (2-4, RBI, BB), and
Christian Quinones (2-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB) led the offense.
MNU is 42-15, the best record is program history. MNU's hope for an At-Large selection into the national tournament came up short and the season comes to an end.
All-Tournament Team
C - Brad Cuyos, Central Methodist
1B - Dalton Entwistle, Central Methodist
2B - Jason Jones, MNU
SS - Christian Quinones, MNU
3B - Travis Johnson, Baker
INF - Ethan Jackson, Baker
OF - Ryan Curtis, Grand ViewÂ
OF - Joba Farrell, Central Methodist
OF - Jeremie Gonzalez, MNU
DH - Jordan Silva, Peru State
P - Chris Danielson, Central Methodist
P - Andrew Robinson, Peru State
Most Valuable Player - Joba Farrell, Central Methodist
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