Second-straight doubleheader split wraps up Pride's series at Mission

OZARK, Mo. - Closing out their second weekend of the 2024 seaosn, the Clarke University baseball team earned another split of their second-straight doubleheader against Mission University on Saturday.

Clarke clinched at least a split in the day's first game with a 12-3 win but the Patriots would comeback and earn an 8-4 victory in the series finale while coming from behind in the game itself early on after a 4-1 CU lead.

Big innings were the theme of the Pride's 12-3 victory as they went from down 2-1 to up 6-2 in a five-run third inning then extended their 6-3 lead at the time to 12-3 after a six-run fifth inning behind an RBI from both Kieron Crowder and Brendan O'Connor, two RBIs from Alex Reynozo, and three RBIs from Tommy Peterson between those two big innings.

That would be plenty run support for CU's starter on the mound, Dante Maietta, as he went six strong innings allowing only five hits and all three runs, only two being earned, while striking out eight batters before Cooper Lindaman would pitch a scoreless bottom of the seventh to seal the win.

Crowder finished with three runs scored on a 1-for-2 day along with a walk out of the lead off spot as Thomas Brannon went 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI, Jin Hattori went 2-for-4 with two runs scored towards, with Alden Brown, Kevin Javier, and Ethan Jones all finishing with one hit as the bottom third of the starting lineup.

In the finale, Crowder, O'Connor, and Peterson all finished with two hits as Peterson drove in the game's first two runs with a single in the top of the first then Crowder and O'Connor both drove in a run with singles of their own in the second to extend a Pride lead to 4-1.

Mission would add three in the bottom of the second, one in the third, and three more in the fourth to tie the game, take the lead, and extend the lead in three-straight innings off of CU starter Chris Ueta.

Coming in relief and holding the Patriots off the board was left-hander Luke Predrick as he finished with 2.1 innings allowing only two hits and striking out one but Clarke's offense quieted after the second innings, unable to break through against both Drew Wheeler and Ian Brown of MU.

Clarke baseball will take a weekend off before getting back to action with another four-game weekend when they head to Kansas City where they will take on four different opponents in an event hosted by fellow Heart of America member Baker University.