Win streak halted by Vikings

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The Mount Mercy baseball team saw a double-digit winning streak come to an end this weekend as Grand View rolled in and swept a four-game Heart of America Athletic Conference series with the Mustangs at the Robert W. Plaster Athletic Complex.

Mount Mercy (23-12, 14-6 Heart), which hadn't lost since March 20, had won 10 in a row and 21 of its last 23 games heading into the weekend. But Grand View's offense was relentless over the four-game set. They hit six home runs while outscoring the Mustangs, 37-14. The Vikings (20-8, 8-7 Heart) collected 48 hits in the series, with double-digit totals in three of the four games.

Grand View opened the series with 11-4 and 11-1 victories on Friday. Zach Barden and Drake Frazier each drove in a run in game one, while Blake Harseim (2-3) was saddled with the loss after giving up four earned runs on eight hits in four innings. He struck out six and didn't walk a batter. A Riley Rundquist sacrifice fly provided Mount Mercy's lone run in game two.

The Viking offense continued its torrid pace on Saturday, defeating the Mustangs by scores of 8-4 and 7-5. Evan Paulus homered while Casey Sole and Dalton Hews also drove in runs in game three of the series. Paulus added two more hits, including a solo shot, in the series finale. Kyle Moeder went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI in the loss.

Mount Mercy sits in second place in the Heart's North Division despite the series with the Vikings. Clarke (19-11, 12-5 Heart) slid into first by mere percentage points after sweeping Missouri Valley over the weekend. A critical four-game set with Peru State (10-14, 7-9 Heart) is coming up next weekend for the Mustangs. First pitch will be 1:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday in Peru, Neb.