Baseball Falls to Peru State in Road Doubleheader

Peru, Neb., (April 20, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team traveled to Peru, Neb., to open a Heart of America Athletic Conference series with Peru State (Neb.), Saturday afternoon. The Vikings fell in the first game, 4-3, and then dropped the second game, 9-4.

The opening game started with Peru State going in front early in the first inning, using one hit and one MVC error to score one run, 1-0. Senior Pitcher Fieterich Guertzgen (De Soto, Mo.) kept the Bobcats scoreless in the second and third inning, striking out three batters. Missouri Valley eventually took the lead in the top of the fourth, as Senior Second Baseman Ty Ellis (Kennet, Mo.) reached first on a passed ball, then Junior Third Baseman Jayden Mah (Nanaimo, British Columbia) singled, and Junior RightFielder Dale Bratz (Carstairs, Alberta) brought Ellis home with a single. The Vikings loaded the bases, as Senior Leftfielder KJ Hartline (Windsor, Colo.) was hit by the pitch and Mah scored on a passed ball. Later in the inning, Junior Designated Hitter Joe Hedger (Logan, Iowa) walked, and with loaded bases Senior Centerfielder Ivory Daniels (Little Rock, Ark.) reached first on a fielder's choice allowing Bratz to score, making it a 3-1 advantage. Peru State answered back in the bottom of the fourth, as they produced two runs on one hit and one MVC error to tie the game, 3-3. After a scoreless fifth inning for Missouri Valley, the Bobcats scored one more run to put the advantage at 4-3. The Vikings were unable to rally in its final two at-bats, as both innings went by without producing any runs, and fell by a final score of 4-3.

Bratz finished with one hit, one scored run and one RBI. Mah followed with one hit and one run and Daniels had one RBI. Hedger, Hartline and Junior Catcher Conner Bell (San Diego, Calif.) each added one hit, while Ty Ellis scored one run. Guertzgen picked up the loss, pitching 6.0 innings with six hits, two earned runs and six strikeouts.

Both teams were held scoreless in the first inning of the second game. Missouri Valley opened the scoreboard in the second inning, as Junior Second Baseman Ruben Fernandez (Madrid, Spain) singled, Junior Righfielder Luke Stoner (Rockford, Ill.) walked, and Bratz brought home two base runners on an error by the first baseman to make it a 2-0 score. Peru State used two hits in the bottom of the second to score one run. The Vikings were unable to produce any runs in the third inning, and the Bobcats eventually took the lead bringing home three runs on four hits to put the advantage at 4-2. 

After a scoreless fourth inning, Missouri Valley cut into its deficit, as Daniels reached first on a fielder's choice, who then scored as Bell singled to centerfield. Peru State responded with a rally in the bottom of the fifth, using three hits to score two runs making it a 6-3 score. Then, one hit and two Viking errors led to three runners coming home, extending the Bobcats lead to 9-3 in the sixth inning. The top of the seventh started with a walk by Bratz, followed by a double from Daniels that allowed Bratz to come home. Missouri Valley was unable to climb back late, and fell by a final score of 9-4.

Daniels finished with one hit, one scored run and one RBI, while Fernandez had two hits and one run. Bell followed with one hit and one RBI, and Bratz totaled one scored run and two RBI's. The loss went to Freshman Pitcher Mason Chamberlain (Victoria, British Columbia) who pitched 3.0 innings, giving up seven hits and four earned runs with one strikeout. 

The pair of losses drop Missouri Valley to 14-28 overall and 3-23 in the Heart. Peru State improves to 16-26 on the season and 12-14 in the conference.

Up next, the two teams will continue their Heart series with a doubleheader in Peru, Neb., Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m.

Game 1 Box Score - Click Here

Game 2 Box Score - Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Known for its dynamic, richly diverse, and friendly educational environment, Missouri Valley College offers many opportunities to grow in mind, body, and spirit. Grounded in the liberal arts, undergraduate studies empower students to master interdisciplinary skills needed to succeed in a knowledge-based global society. MVC offers over 30 academic programs, study abroad program, extracurricular activities, and a wide variety of sports. The most popular majors include education and business, criminal justice and exercise science. Above all, Valley is committed to student success. For more information, call (660) 831-4000 or visit www.moval.edu.