[Baseball] Crusaders steal game two, sweep Mustangs

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Cameron Sherrer's three-run homer in the top of the seventh inning forced extra innings and Caleb Johnson's two-run single in the 12th gave Clarke an 8-6 victory over Mount Mercy in game two of Wednesday's Midwest Collegiate Conference baseball doubleheader at Ken Charipar Field at Xavier High School.

The Mustangs (17-18, 9-11 MCC) took a 5-0 lead in the first inning, thanks to a pair of walks and RBI singles by junior designated hitter Kevin Turner and junior center fielder Salvador Ramos. After the Crusaders (17-16, 12-7 MCC) cut that lead to 5-2 in the top of the second, Turner's run-scoring double in the bottom half of the inning made it 6-2. It stayed that way until Alex McKinlay's solo home run in the fifth and Sherrer's game-tying blast in the seventh.

Turner, Ramos, junior second baseman Matthew Salas and senior third baseman Albert Diaz finished with two hits apiece for the Mustangs. Starting left-hander Robert Byers went six innings for Mount Mercy, allowing five earned runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking one. Senior righty Eric Bearbower (3-1) got the loss after 5 1/3 innings in relief. He gave up three earned runs and four hits and struck out a batter while walking four.

Jake Moser held the Mustang offense in check in the opener, a 5-1 Crusader win. Diaz had three of Mount Mercy's five hits, all singles. Turner had run-scoring single in the sixth that accounted for the Mustangs' lone run of the game. Senior left-hander Brandon Gosse (4-4) took the loss, while Moser finished with a complete-game, five-hitter for the Crusaders.

Mount Mercy heads back to Clinton tomorrow for an MCC doubleheader with Ashford at 3:00 p.m. Then, the Mustangs have a week off before traveling to Oskaloosa for a single, nine-inning contest at William Penn on Thursday, April 28, at 5:00 p.m.