Baseball Drops Pair of Games at Mount Mercy

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, (March 14, 2025)- The Missouri Valley College baseball team traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to open a Heart of America Athletic Conference series with Mount Mercy (Iowa), Friday afternoon. The Vikings fell in the first game, 4-0, and then dropped the second game, 10-1.

Game one started with Junior Pitcher Tanner Duncan (Kennett, Mo.) working around a double in the bottom of the first, and then striking out two batters in the second inning to keep Mount Mercy scoreless. The Vikings were unable to produce any runs in the third inning, and the Mustangs eventually took the lead using a three-run homer to put the advantage at 3-0. Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth inning, as Duncan faced the minimum and ended the at-bat with a strikeout. Missouri Valley threatened in the top of the fifth, as Junior Centerfielder Mason Mitchell (Littleton, Colo.) singled and Senior Second Baseman Ruben Fernandez (Madrid, Spain) walked, but the pair were left stranded. Mount Mercy produced one run on three hits to extend their lead in the bottom half, 4-0. Junior Pinch Hitter Pablo Arnaud (Santo Domingo, DR) doubled to left field but was unable to reach home safely in the sixth inning. The Mustangs were taken down in order in the bottom half, as Duncan struck out two batters. However, Missouri Valley was unable to create late in the game, and fell, 4-0.

Mitchell, Duncan and Arnaud finished with one hit each. Duncan pitched a complete-game but picked up the loss, giving up seven hits and four earned runs with seven strikeouts.

The second game started with a long rally from the Mustangs, using five hits and two MVC errors to produce six runs, and move ahead in the bottom of the first, 6-0. After a scoreless second inning for the Vikings, Junior Pitcher Jack Corriveau (Kalispell, Mont.) struck out two batters but Mount Mercy still increased their lead, as they scored one run on one hit in the bottom half. Missouri Valley was taken down in order in the third and fourth inning, and the Mustangs produced from the plate in the bottom of the third, using one hit to score one run, holding an 8-0 advantage. The fifth inning began with a single from Freshman Catcher Jaozef Del Rosario (Toronto, Ontario), followed by Freshman Second Baseman Rui Watanabe (Nagasaki, Japan) reaching first on a Mustang error, and Junior Pinch Runner Josh Hudson (Kansas City, Mo.), who came in to pinch run for Rosario, scored to make it an 8-1 score. Mount Mercy got that run back in the bottom half of the inning, as they produced one run on two hits extending their lead to 9-1. After a scoreless sixth for both teams, the Vikings were unable to put anyone on-base in the top of the seventh, and Missouri Valley fell, 10-1.

Rosario had one hit and Hudson finished with one run scored. Freshman Pitcher Rowan Gelder (Mississauga, Ontario) picked up the loss, giving up four hits and five earned runs.

The pair of losses drop Missouri Valley to 8-9 overall and 4-2 in the Heart. Mount Mercy improves to 8-10 on the season and 3-3 in the conference. 

Up next, the two teams will continue their Heart series with a doubleheader in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Saturday, beginning at 12 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.