Baseball Tops Health Sciences & Pharmacy on the Road

St. Louis, Mo., (April 23, 2024)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team traveled to St. Louis, Mo., for a non-conference 9-inning game with Health Sciences & Pharmacy (Mo.), Tuesday afternoon. The Vikings built an early lead and earned an 11-2 victory in a game that was shortened due to weather.

The game started with Missouri Valley going in front early, as Senior Shortstop Josias Mogollon (Bloomfield, Iowa) walked, stole second, and came home on a single from Junior Centerfielder Sam Benz (Martinez, Calif.), who then scored on a single from Junior First Baseman Joe Hedger (Logan, Iowa). Junior Third Baseman Jayden Mah (Nanaimo, British Columbia) followed with a single, loading the bases and then Hedger scored on a balk to make it a 3-0 score. After a scoreless first inning for Health Sciences & Pharmacy, the Vikings used a solo homer from Benz to extend their lead to 4-0. Senior Pitcher Micah Copeland (Buckner, Mo.) faced the minimum in the bottom of the second, inducing a pair of fly-outs to keep UHSP scoreless. Missouri Valley pulled away from there as they rallied in the third inning, as Sophomore Catcher Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan) and Colchado both walked, Junior Rightfielder Gino Gazzillo (Steger, Ill.) singled and stole second, and with two-outs and loaded bases, Benz followed and knocked out a four-run homer, 8-0. Health Sciences & Pharmacy scored one run in the third inning and then another one in the fourth inning making it an 8-2 score. The Vikings responded as Gazzillo and Senior Second Baseman Nick Tsoulfanidis (Wentzville, Mo.) walked, and an error by UHSP allowed Mogollon to reach second and Gazzillo to score. Tsoulfanidis scored on a wild pitch, and Mogollon scored on a grounder by Junior Third Baseman Connor Bell (San Diego, Calif.). Sophomore Pitcher Trey Brakensiek (Wright City, Mo.) finished out the game inducing three fly-outs in the bottom of the fifth, and the Vikings earned an 11-2 win.

Leading the team was Benz with three hits, three scored runs and six RBI's. Bell had two hits and one RBI, while Gazzillo added two runs and one hit. Hedger followed with one hit, one scored run and one RBI. Mogollon had two runs and one RBI, and Colcado and Tsoulfanidis each scored one run. The win went to Copeland, who pitched 2.0 innings with two hits and two strikeouts.

Missouri Valley improves to 15-30, while Health Sciences & Pharmacy drops to 11-26.

Up next, the Viking baseball team will play a four-game weekend Heart series at home against Graceland (Iowa). Series opens with a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m.

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.