Baseball Opens Series With Doubleheader Sweep of Benedictine

Atchison, Kan., (March 1, 2025)-  The Missouri Valley College baseball team traveled to Atchison, Kan., to open a weekend Heart of America Athletic Conference series against Benedictine (Kan.), Saturday afternoon.  Playing as the home team on the scoreboard, the Vikings used a complete-game pitching performance to win the opener, 3-0, followed by a 4-1 win in the second game to sweep the doubleheader.

Following a scoreless first inning, Missouri Valley put together some production from the plate in the bottom of the second inning, which included a single from Junior Centerfielder Mason Mitchell (Littleton, Colo.) to open the at-bat, who then stole second base.  Junior Catcher Carter Kalin (Superior, Wisc.) drove Mitchell home on a one-out single, and the Vikings moved in front, 1-0.  Junior Pitcher Tanner Duncan (Kennett, Mo.) worked around a leadoff single to strand the baserunner, using an inning-ending strikeout to stop the threat.  The fourth inning featured Duncan getting out of the top half by stranding one runner on-base, while Missouri Valley added to its advantage in the bottom half of the inning.  Kalin reached on a single, then came home on a two-out double from Freshman Shortstop Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) to make it a 2-0 score. 

The top of the fifth inning featured Duncan facing the minimum for the second time in the game, striking out the final batter.  Benedictine tried to manufacture some offense in the top of the sixth, putting its leadoff batter on-base with a single, and moving the runner into scoring position with a stolen base.  However, Duncan got out of the inning, and left the runner stranded, taking down the next three BC batters.  The bottom half of the inning included another one-out single from Kalin, who moved to second base on a groundout from Senior Pinch Hitter Jayden Mah (Nanaimo, B.C.).  Suzuki brought Kalin home again, with another two-out double, to put the advantage at 3-0 going into the final at-bat for the Ravens.  Duncan closed out his complete-game, working around a single, and earned a shutout with a 3-0 victory.

Kalin finished with three hits, two runs scored and one RBI, while Suzuki had two hits and drove in two runs.  Mitchell added one hit and one run scored.  Duncan pitched a complete-game, giving up four hits, and no runs, with two strikeouts.

Benedictine tried to threaten early in the first inning of game two, putting its leadoff batter on base, but Kalin threw out the runner trying to steal third later in the at-bat to help keep the game scoreless.  Junior Pitcher Caleb Monnig (Liberty, Mo.) followed by facing the minimum in the top of the second inning, while MVC rallied from the plate in the bottom half.  Junior Rightfielder Pablo Arnaud (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) opened the bottom of the second with a single, while Senior Leftfielder Dale Bratz (Carstairs, Alberta) added a single to put two-on with no outs.  The next batter, Senior Designated Hitter Brandon Walker (Kansas City, Kan.), drove Arnaud home on a single, and a fourth-straight single came from Suzuki, to score Bratz, and the Vikings went on top, 2-0.  The Ravens cut their deficit in half in the top of the third, using a two-out triple to score one run and make it a 2-1 contest. 

Monnig worked around a leadoff single in the fourth, then after inducing a pair of groundouts to open the top of the fifth, worked around a double and an error to strand a pair of baserunners and keep MVC on top by one run.  Benedictine threatened again in the top of the sixth, using a walk and another error to put two runners on-base with one out.  The pair moved into scoring position, but Pitcher Jed Garner got out of the jam with a strikeout to end the at-bat and strand two BC baserunners.  Missouri Valley followed with a two-out rally, helped by walks from Duncan and Suzuki, while Mah was hit to load the bases.  Another pair of walks, worked by both Bell and Senior Pinch Hitter Austyn Andrachic (Kalispell, Mont.), both with bases loaded, brought another two runs across home plate, and increased the lead to 4-1.  Garner closed out the game, taking down the Ravens in order in the seventh, striking out one batter, to secure the 4-1 win and doubleheader sweep.

Walker finished with two hits and one RBI, while Suzuki had one hit, one run and one RBI.  Both Arnaud and Bratz totaled one hit and one run scored apiece.  Monnig picked up the win, going five innings with four hits and one run, while Garner earned the save after going 1.2 innings, striking out three and not giving up any hits or runs.

Missouri Valley improves to 3-5 overall and 2-0 in the Heart.  Benedictine falls to 4-10 on the season and 0-2 in the conference.

Up next, the Viking baseball team will close out its weekend series against Benedictine with a Sunday, 12 p.m., doubleheader in Atchison, Kan.

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.