[Baseball] Vikings take weekend series with Mustangs

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Mount Mercy junior catcher Rafael Del Rio plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth inning, giving the Mustangs a split of Saturday's Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Grand View.

Junior shortstop David Rodriguez reached base on a one-out single and advanced to third on a double by junior right fielder Brent Pankow. After a walk to junior first baseman Jeremy Glunt, Del Rio came through with a fly ball to center field that scored Rodriguez with the game winner.

Del Rio drove in three of Mount Mercy's four runs. Rodriguez went 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored, while Pankow and senior second baseman Albert Diaz finished with two hits apiece. Senior right-hander Derrick Weber improved to 2-3 on the year after going the distance, allowing four earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight and walking eight.

Prior to their 11-hit performance in the game two, the Mustangs were stymied in the opener by Grand View's Jared Meggison, who tossed a no-hitter while facing the minimum number of batters in the Vikings' 4-0 win. Sophomore righty Phil Hotchkiss (0-3) got the loss, surrendering three earned runs and nine hits in six innings of work.

The Grand View offense was the story again in Sunday's finale as the Vikings (9-8, 2-1 MCC) totaled 14 hits in a 12-4 defeat of the Mustangs. Rodriguez, junior left fielder Alex Heumann, and sophomore third baseman Jacob Thompson had two hits apiece for the Mustangs (7-9, 1-2 MCC). Junior left-hander Robert Byers (0-1) picked up the loss, giving up a pair of earned runs and three hits in three innings.

Mount Mercy will host Waldorf (9-5, 3-0 MCC) in an MCC doubleheader on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at Ken Charipar Field at Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids.