Vikings sweep Warriors in weekend series
By Aaron Schneider
MARSHALL, Mo. – Missouri Valley College completed the weekend sweep of the Waldorf College baseball team, picking up 12-3 and 11-3 victories on Sunday.
The Vikings (7-5) have strung together seven consecutive wins following the four-game series with the Warriors (2-6).
Waldorf’s Ryan Villarreal batted 4-for-6 at the plate on the day. The junior from Riverside, California provided a home run and a double while driving in four runs.
Villarreal hit 2-for-3 with a solo homer during the opener. Junior Bruce Mau turned in a 3-for-3 performance while freshman Mitchell Keeran went 2-for-4 and knocked in a run with his fifth double of the season.
Freshman Garrett Gillen, juniors Michael Keeran and Kellan Mick contributed singles as the Warriors collected 10 hits.
Jeremy Shull powered Missouri Valley’s offense, going 2-for-4 at the plate with a three-run homer. Bryce Burdette batted 2-for-3 and went yard for a solo shot. Jake Stafford connected a solo blast and went 1-for-2. Andrew Skinner added a pair of singles for the Vikings, who cranked out 12 hits.
Missouri Valley’s Ronald Bloem (2-1) earned the win as he struck out two batters, issued one walk and allowed two runs on seven hits in four innings.
Junior Tony Manna (0-2) was charged with the loss after walking one batter and surrendering eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits in four innings. Freshman Michael Miller pitched two innings of relief. Miller notched two strikeouts, gave up four walks and relinquished for runs on three hits.
Mitchell Keeran put the Warriors on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning with an RBI double. Shull started a five-run rally for the Vikings in the bottom half of the inning by connecting on a three-run blast. Missouri Valley received two more runs as Jake Scribner produced an RBI single and Cody Price swiped home plate.
The Vikings went up 6-1 when Burdette cranked a second-inning solo shot.
During the third, the Vikings scored on an error to extend their lead to six runs.
Villarreal smashed a solo homer in the fourth. Stafford responded in the bottom half of the inning with his own solo shot to maintain Missouri Valley’s six-run cushion.
The Warriors cut the deficit to 8-3 after Gillen scored on an error in the fifth. Turner Herbek and Trent Simpson delivered two-run doubles to boost the Vikings to a nine-run advantage after five innings.
Villarreal batted 2-for-3 during the nightcap with a double and three RBIs.
Waldorf sophomore Jacob Tedesco went 2-for-4 with a double. Michael Keeran ripped a double while Mitchell Keeran and Gillen contributed singles.
Missouri Valley’s Zac Blakemore turned in a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, going deep with a two-run blast. Herbek drilled a three-run shot and Price batted 2-for-3 with a double.
Phillip Ximinies (2-0) picked up the win as he fanned five batters, walked one and yielded two unearned runs on three hits in four innings.
Mau (0-1) was hit with the loss, working four innings on the mound. He exited with three strikeouts and a walk after giving up nine runs (seven earned) on six hits.
Junior Dave Erickson tossed two innings of relief, walked one batter and allowed one run on three hits. Senior Trevor Bauer pitched the final inning and yielded a run off one hit and two walks. Bauer also struck out two batters.
Price drove in Skinner on a sacrifice fly to ignite a six-run second for the Vikings. Blakemore connected on a two-run shot, Stafford drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and Jordan Rice cracked a two-run double.
Missouri Valley extended its lead to 9-0 after Herbek crushed a three-run blast in the third.
Villarreal delivered a two-run double for Waldorf in the fourth.
Simpson drove in a run with a fifth-inning double to put the Vikings ahead 10-2.
Villarreal added an RBI single in the sixth. Price stole home in the bottom of the inning as Missouri Valley built an eight-run advantage.
Waldorf returns to action in the Tucson Invitational, scheduled for March 7-11 at Tucson, Arizona. The Warriors open the four-day, eight-game spring break trip on March 7 with a doubleheader against Briar Cliff University (3-6) at 10 a.m. (CST)/9 a.m. (MST).