Pride grind out Saturday split against Central Methodist

PEOSTA, Iowa - Looking to produce a series split after dropping the two Friday games, the Clarke Unviersity baseball team would settle for a doubleheader split on Saturday after suffering a 20-0 loss in game three and following that up with a 7-5 game four win at A.J. Spiegel Park.

Game three would see the Eagles jump out to a 3-0 lead before adding a run in the fourth, six in the fifth, nine in the sixth, and another in the seventh to run away with the win in the game while clinching the series win in the process.

CMU's pitching combination of starter Marcos Lopez, Vince Ray, and Alfred Ulloa would limit the CU offense to just four hits and only walked four over seven innings with Lopez picking up the win with five shutout innings of three-hit ball with Ray and Ulloa both throwing an inning in relief.

The series finale would see the Pride mix up their lineup and see instant results in the form of a four-run bottom of the first that was highlighted by a Ki Crowder three-run home run to left to give CU a 4-1 lead after DJ Graham tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single earlier in the inning.

Crowder, Graham, and Ethan Hefel would all produce multi-hit games in their first appearances in the starting lineup offensively with Crowder and Hefel both going 2-for-3 with Hefel producing a pair of doubles and Graham going 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, a run scored, and a double.

The Eagles would cut the Clarke lead to 4-3 in the top of the second but another pair of runs for CU in the bottom half on a bases loaded ground ball double play then Graham's double put the Pride back up by three runs at 6-3.

Hefels' second double of the game would make it a 7-3 game in the bottom of the third in time for Clarke game four starting pitcher Carson Possehl to settle in and only allow two more runs in his outing for his line to finish at 5.1 innings pitched allowing five earned runs on seven hits with four walks and six strikeouts.

For the second-straight day, left-hander Zach Arnold would produce multiple quality innings as the freshman from Cedarville, Ill. picked up his first career collegiate save in a five-out effort where he only allowed a baserunner via a walk and struck out a CMU hitter a day after pitching 2.1 innings of shutout ball in relief in game two.

Clarke baseball will get back on the road next weekend when they travel to Des Moines, Iowa for a four-game series against Grand View University on Saturday and Sunday Mar. 29-30 with both day's doubleheaders set to begin at 1:00 p.m. CT.