With a four game set against Baker University (12-13), the Central Methodist baseball team stood undefeated in conference play and looked to do some damage in the Heart of America Athletic Conference standings this past weekend. The Eagles instead came away with a split to take their overall record to 24-5 and their conference record to 10-2.

With only two runs separating the Eagles from sweeping the series, Central certainly had it’s share of chances to add two more to the win column.

Saturday

Game 1

CMU-4

Baker-2

Two unearned runs allowed Baker to stay in an otherwise solid game by Central but the Eagles were able to overcome Baker by a score of 4-2.

Central jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when senior catcher Jeff Vance singled to drive in sophomore Tommie Giarola. Baker came right back in the bottom of the first to plate two unearned runs and take a 2-1 lead. Both Baker runs came via Eagle errors.

Neither team was able to score for the next four innings. Finally in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded, Giarola singled to drive in sophomore pinch runner, Gannon Ruckman to tie the game.

With the game knotted at two in the top of the seventh, the Eagles put two runs across the plate when junior Cole Luedeking doubled to left. Junior designated hitter Robbie Merced was intentionally walked and subsequently pinch ran for by sophomore Terry Tolliver, Jr.  Vance then advanced Luedeking and Tolliver with a sacrifice bunt. 

With one out, Baker tried to keep the double-play in order by intentionally walking senior Grant Victor to load the bases. Eagle second baseman Josh Green followed with a ball hit to the infield. The Baker second basemanPeyton Lewis mishandled the ball however, allowing Luedeking to score and all the other runners to be safe.

Junior Logan McDonald then hit into a fielder’s choice, as Green was put out at second. Tolliver, however raced in from third on the play to make the score 4-2 going into the bottom of the seventh.

Junior right hander, Tyler Vicars had replaced Eagle starter senior Beau Atkins in the sixth. After Baker centerfielder and leadoff hitter Jared Parenti led off with a double, Vicars was able to induce a fly out to the third baseman, before giving way to junior reliever Nino Puckett. Puckett struck out the first batter he faced, then walked the next before the final batter grounded out to Victor at third to seal the 4-2 victory.

Starter Atkins went five full innings, striking out seven and walking one. The two runs he gave up were unearned. Vicars came on in relief in the sixth and gave up one hit before giving way to Puckett with one out in the seventh. Puckett struck out one and walked one to close out the game.

Sophomores Bobbie Nichols and Giarola led the Eagle offense with two hits apiece. Giarola and Luedeking each notched doubles in the contest.

Saturday

Game 2

CMU-13

Baker-10

The second game of the set turned out to be a wild affair that offered 23 runs on 23 hits, five errors, eight walks, six strikeouts and 11 runners left on base before Central was able to nail down the 13-10 win.

Central jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first and held that lead until the third when the Eagles erupted for three more runs. In the bottom of the third, Baker was able to put three runs on the board to make the score 7-3 in favor of the Eagles. Central padded its lead in the fourth by adding two more runs and again in the fifth by putting up one more to make the score 10-3.

At that point it looked as if it might be another easy win for the Eagles. That, however, was not to be as Baker roared back to tie the game at 10 with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Central fought back in the sixth adding another run to take a one-run lead, before adding two more in the top of the seventh to secure the 13-10 win.

Tyler Vicars earned the win after throwing the last 2.2 innings and retiring eight of the ten batters he faced. Sophomore starter Sebastian Escobar gave up six hits in 4.1 innings before giving way to junior Anthony Rodriguez in the fifth. Rodriguez faced two batters and gave up a hit and a walk before yielding to Vicars.

On the offensive side of the book, Cole Luedeking and Jeff Vance each went 3-for-4. One of Vance’s hits was a 3-run home run which contributed to his four RBI total.

Bobby Nichols and freshman Tanner Sears each contributed doubles. In the win.

Sunday

Game 3

Baker-5

CMU-4

Senior starter Nick Merkel went the distance for Central on Sunday and walked only one batter. That is normally a recipe for success for a starter, but the 6’7” lefty also gave up an uncharacteristic eight hits.  Baker was able to capitalize on those hits grabbing five earned runs in the 5-4 CMU loss.

Central went ahead by two in the third when Giarola hit a sacrifice fly to left to score McDonald and advance McDonald top third. The next batter, Tanner Sears singled to short and drove in Nichols to earn the two-run lead. 

Beer came right back in the bottom of the inning with three runs after a runner scored on a passed ball. Catcher Brian Hawkins added a two run homer to give Baker a 3-2 lead.

Bobbie Nichols singled in the fourth to drive in third baseman Grant Victor. That run knotted the game at three.

In the bottom of the sixth, Baker pulled ahead by two when Tucker Flory doubled in Hank Dobson and Jackson Renkow making the score 5-3 in favor of the home team.

Needing two runs to tie, CMU fought back in the top of the seventh. Bobbie Nichols led off with a home run to make the score 5-4. After Giarola grounded out to short, Sears singled to center then gave way to Tolliver who pinch ran for him. Luedeking then singled to center to move Tolliver to third. Baker unsuccessfully attempted to make the putout on Tolliver at third allowing Luedeking to advance to second. With first base unoccupied, Baker intentionally walked Merced to fill the bases.

After a strikeout by Vance for the second out of the inning, Victor grounded into a fielder’s choice forcing Merced out at second for the third out to end the game.

Bobby Nichols singled, doubled and homered to pace the Eagle bats. He also had three RBI’s in the loss.

Sunday

Game 4

Baker-12

CMU-11

The final game of the set started out benignly enough as neither team was able to muster a run in the first two innings. After that, however, all bets were off as the two teams erupted for23 runs, only 13 of which were earned as Baker took the finale of the four game set 12-11.

Central jumped ahead 7-0 in the top of the third with an inning that featured three-run home runs by freshman Tanner Sears and senior Jeff Vance.

The Wildcats of Baker cut into that lead with four runs of their own in the bottom of the third.

Neither team scored in the fourth, but CMU came back in the fifth and added four more runs. Those runs came fro Luedeking being forced home on a walk, Merced scoring on a sacrifice fly, and McDonald tripling in Grant Victor and Terry Toliver, Jr.  giving Central an 11-4 lead. Baker would then begin to chip away at the Eagle lead adding one run in the bottom of the fifth.

After holding CMU scoreless in the sixth, the Wildcats add five in the bottom of the inning to make the score 11-10.

Baker reliever Ian Henricks came on in the top of the seventh to face the 6-7-8 batters in the CMU lineup. Aside from a hit batter, a sacrifice bunt, and a walk, he was able to shut down the Eagle bats without giving up a run.

The Wildcats went into their half of the inning needing two runs to win the game. With righty Tanner Sears on the mound, things looked good for CMU especially after he induced the leadoff hitter to ground out to the second baseman. The next Baker batter, Tucker Flory however knotted the game at 11 with a solo home run to left.  The next batter flew out to center for the second out. That brought second baseman Peyton Lewis to the plate for Baker after having gone 1-for-2 on the day with two RBI’s. Lewis then deposited the ball over the left field fence for the game-winning home run.

Rightfielder Cole Luedeking had two hits in the game for Central. Logan McDonald added a triple and two RBI’s while Tanner Sears and Jeff Vance each homered for the Eagles. Both Sears and Vance drove in three runs apiece.

Central will host Columbia College in a single nine-inning game today at 4p.m. at Estes Field before hosting a four-game set with Missouri Valley Saturday and Sunday. The first game on each day will begin at 1 p.m.