Mustangs fall to Bobcats in Heart action
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- After winning the opening game of the weekend, the Mount Mercy baseball team saw Peru State win three straight to take the Heart of America Athletic Conference series at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex.
The Mustangs used a 5-run first inning to grab an early lead and cruised to a 10-4 victory in Saturday's opener. Mount Mercy totaled 11 hits, with three players recording multi-hit games. Spencer Wiskus (SR/North Liberty, Iowa) went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in. Kaimana Souza-Paaluhi (JR/Mililani, Hawaii) was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI while Cael Lambe (JR/Dysart, Iowa) finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Chase Costa (SR/Hilo, Hawaii), David Mitchell (JR/Barrington, Ill.), Sam Funke (FR/North Liberty, Iowa), and Jake Faur (SR/Clinton, Iowa) also drove in runs in support of Blake Willenborg (SR/Central City, Iowa) (5-0). The left-hander went the distance, scattering eight hits while allowing one earned run with four strikeouts and a walk.
Game two was all Bobcats, who scored six runs in the first and again in the fifth to get the 14-1 victory. Lambe, Paaluhi, Wiskus, and Faur had Mount Mercy's four hits off Peru State starter Steven Ortiz. Wiskus also drove in the lone Mustang run in the top of the first. Right-hander Tanner Lohaus (SR/North Liberty, Iowa) (2-2) got the loss after surrendering six earned runs on five hits with two walks in less than an inning.
The Mount Mercy offense was still out of sync in Sunday's opener, a 4-0 loss. Chili Moseley (SR/Eldridge, Iowa) collected two of his team's three hits. The Mustangs got a solid start from left-hander Kobey Schlotman (JR/Coralville, Iowa) (3-2), who struck out six and walked two while giving up three earned runs on seven hits in 5-1/3 innings.
Sunday's series finale didn't disappoint. It was all Bobcats until the Mustangs scored five runs over the final two innings to get within a run, but Peru State hung on, 11-10. Joshua Santiago came on in relief for the Bobcats and got Chase Costa to ground out with the bases loaded to end the Mustang threat. Sueppel and Wiskus each went 2-for-4 with two RBI and Faur also had two more hits and an RBI. Left-hander Nolan Frey (FR/Iowa City, Iowa) (1-1) got the loss for the Mustangs, who dipped to 14-7 overall and 4-4 in conference play.
Mount Mercy's month-long homestand continues this week when the Mustangs host a non-conference matchup with Waldorf on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m., then host a 4-game set with Graceland on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at the Plaster Athletic Complex.