Pride fall in both ends of series opening doubleheader at Mount Mercy

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Beginning their final regular season series of 2024, the Clarke University baseball team was unable to come away with a win on the road at Mount Mercy University on Thursday evening in 7-1 and 3-2 losses.

An early offensive barrage in the first three innings put the Mustangs up 5-0 as they got a lead off home run from Tyler Pecson then another long ball in the second inning via a two-run shot from Kyle Moeder in the second before back-to-back singles from MMU in the third would drive in their fourth and fifth runs.

An Alden Brown RBI double in the top of the fourth would put the Pride on the board and cut into the Mount Mercy lead but that would be it from the scoring side for CU with the biggest rally they would produce beyond that would be a bases loaded opportunity in the top of the sixth before Moeder added two more RBIs in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double of his own.

In game two, it would be Clarke to jump out to an early lead in support of ace Dante Maietta as it was Brown once again providing the run production with a two-RBI single to score Dean Ormonde and Brendan O'Connor and make it 2-0 early for the Pride.

The Mustangs would get one back in the bottom of the third, tie the game with a solo home run from Joel Vaske then it would be Vaske earning the walk off win for MMU in extra innings with his second solo home run of the game.

Maietta would pitch the entirety of the extra innings game for the Pride allowing just five hits and walking two batters while striking out eight on the day.

These two teams will finish out the regular season on Saturday with games three and four scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. CT start in Cedar Rapids.