Pioneers Sweep Pirates

Watch Game 1
Watch Game 2

The Basics
Game 1 Score: MNU 13 - Park 3
Game 2 Score: MNU 17 - Park 7
Record: MNU (35-12, 25-4) - PU (14-28, 9-21)
Location: Dixon Stadium - Olathe, Kan.

OLATHE, Kan. - The Pioneers' win streak is at 22 after 13-3 and 17-7 victories over Park. The games were a best-of-3 seeding series.

In Game 1, MNU took an early lead when Adam Rellihan tripled and Daunte Freeman brought him home with a sac fly. Park scored single runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, but the Pioneers kept scoring. Joshuan Sandoval homered and Randy Fernandez doubled in the bottom of the 3rd for 2 runs, and the Pioneers never looked back. Austin Healy led off the 4th with a solo homer, and 4 straight walks were followed by a Brycen Sherwood grand slam to blow the game open. A bloop 2-run single from Freeman in the 7th put MNU up by 10, and the game was called via the mercy rule.

Game 1 Turning Point
Joshuan Sandoval's homer in the 3rd gave MNU the lead for good.

Game 1 Individual Leaders
Jhon Vargas struck out 5 in 4.2 innings for his MNU single-season tying 10th win. Eric Navarette with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief. And Joshuan Sandoval (3-3, R, HR, RBI, 2 BB), Daunte Freeman (3-3, 2 R, 2B, 5 RBI, BB, SF), Brycen Sherwood (1-3, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB), and Austin Healy (1-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, SB) led the offense.

In Game 2, the Pirates took a 3-0 lead after 2 innings, but the Pioneers slugged their way to 6 homers and 17 runs to win by 10 again. Joshuan Sandoval tied the game in the 3rd with a 3-run homer, and added a 3-run triple in the 5th for a 6 RBI game. Daunte Freeman added 2 late homers, including a mercy-rule walkoff, and MNU won 17-7.

Game 2 Turning Point
MNU rallied for 10 runs in the 3rd inning.

Game 2 Individual Leaders
Kyle Waller pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief for the win. And Josh Torrance (2-3, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, HBP), Adam Rellihan (1-2, 2 R, 3 BB), Joshuan Sandoval (2-5, 2 R, 3B, HR, 6 RBI), Daunte Freeman (4-5, 3 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, SB), Randy Fernandez (2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI), and Austin Healy (2-2, 3 R, HR, RBI, BB, HBP, 2 SB) had big games at the plate.

Up Next
The conference tournament starts Thursday and MNU will be the 3 seed of 8 teams. The Pioneers will face 6-seed William Penn at 5:00.