Pride clinch Heart North crown as bats come alive in 8-0 and 6-1 wins over Culver-Stockton
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 1 |
| Culver-Stockton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
| Culver-Stockton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
Game 1
Culver-Stockton
Game 2
Culver-Stockton
CANTON, Mo. - Looking to secure the top spot in the Heart of America Athletic Conference North Division, the Clarke University baseball team went out and controlled their own destiny with a pair of wins in Sunday's regular season finale doubleheader against Culver-Stockton College.
With the Pride's 8-0 and 6-1 wins over the Wildcats, CU clinched a 21-10 Heart record for the top spot in the Heart North and the No. 2 seed for the impending Heart Baseball Tournament in Ozark, Mo. starting on May 5.
On Sunday's game one, Clarke put up at least a run in each of the first four innings, including a two-run first, three-run third, and two-run fourth to cruise to their 8-0 win.
Victor Lara and Bryce Hinton both recorded three-hit games as Bubba Thompson and Brendan O'Connor both went 2-for-4, and Daniel Phyle got on base four times at the top of the order with two hits and two walks in five plate appearances.
On the mound, Jake Fiorito picked up his fifth win of the season allowing four hits in four innings with a single strikeout as he was relieved by Greg Bennett and Bryce Simon as Bennett threw two scoreless innings before Simon closed the door in the seventh.
The second game was a closer game until the Pride busted the game wide open in the seventh as it was a 1-0 game before a five-run top of the fifth as Phyle drove in a run with an RBI double, Simon and Lara both singled home a run in the inning, and the day was capped off by a Thompson two-run home run to make it 6-0.
Johnny Blake and Carsie Walker combined for six scoreless on the bump for CU as Walker struck out three and walked two in two hitless innings and Walker struck out a batter in four innings with four hits allowed before Nolan Lamere finished off the seventh inning allowing a solo home run as the only damage on the day as he also struck out a batter.
As previously mentioned, Clarke baseball will now turn their attention to the postseason as the Heart Baseball Tournament will begin this upcoming Thursday in Ozark with CU looking to clinch their second Heart title with their last coming in 2017.