HESSTON, Kan. – The Hesston College baseball team earned a series win over Moberly Area Community College over the weekend (Apr. 11-12). The Greyhounds took the series opener on Friday, but the Larks battled their way to a doubleheader sweep on Saturday to win the series and tie up the season series with the Greyhounds. The Larks will continue region play in Trenton, Mo. this week (Apr. 17-18) as they take on North Central Missouri College.
Game 1 – Hesston College 1, Moberly Area CC 12
The Greyhounds got their bats working early, scoring four runs in the first inning. The Larks manufactured their lone run of the contest in the bottom of the inning. Lucas Dunn reached on a leadoff single before a sacrifice bunt and a pair of groundouts brought him around to score. The Greyhounds added one run in second inning, one in the third, three in the fifth and three in the sixth to take the opener in six innings.
Dunn and Noel Cesena recorded hits.
Zach Guntle took the loss allowing four runs on four hits with one strikeout through 0.2 innings.
Game 2 – Hesston College 8, Moberly Area CC 7
The Greyhounds got on the board first scoring on an error and an RBI single in the first inning, but the Larks responded scoring three runs in the home half. Two runs scored on a Greyhound throwing error before Chris Cammlarie drove in Jett Millsap on an RBI double. Kelvin Malone scored in the second after reaching on an error to put the Larks up 4-2. MACC plated a run in the third on an RBI single, but the Larks responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Millsap reached on a double to start the inning before Kaleb Wise drove him in with a double of his own. A sacrifice bunt from Cammllarie moved Wise over to third before Sincere Lozano drove him in with a single up the middle. The Larks rounded out their scoring in the fourth with a pair of RBI singles from Millsap and Wise. The Greyhounds scored three runs in the top of the sixth to cut their deficit to one run, but Camden Cornelius slammed the door on them in the seventh to secure the win.
Millsap, Dunn and Wise each recorded two hits including a double in the game. Millsap drove in three runs and Wise drove in two.
Yuya Omata earned the win for Hesston going 5.1 innings and allowing five runs (two earned) on eight hits and one walk while striking out four. Cornelius allowed only one hit and two walks in one inning of work to earn his second save of the season.
Game 3 – Hesston College 12, Moberly Area CC 10
The Larks led the whole way in the final game as they got on the board in the opening frame as Dunn scored on a wild pitch. Hesston added to their lead in the second as Cesena drove in Cammllarie on a double to left. Dunn drove in two more runs with a double of his own a dew at bats later a sacrifice fly by Luke Richard put the Larks up 5-1. The Greyhounds plated three runs in the next inning to cut the Hesston lead to one. The Larks responded with four runs in the fourth. Lozano scored on a Greyhound error before Malone and Dunn blasted back-to-back RBI doubles. Colin Pitzer drove in Dunn with an RBI single to close out the inning. MACC took back two runs in the fifth with a solo home run and an RBI double. Cesena clubbed his second double of the day in the seventh to bring in Millsap and Cammllarie to put the Larks up 11-6. The Greyhounds scored two on the eighth, but the Larks responded with a solo home run from Pitzer. Moberly score two more in the final frame, but the Larks held on to win the series.
Dunn and Millsap each had three hits and Pitzer and Cesena added two apiece. Dunn and Cesena both clubbed a pair of doubles.
Richard earned the win as the starter for Hesston allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks while striking out four. Millsap earned his second save of the season going four innings and allowing four runs on nine hits with a strikeout.
