The baseball team traveled to Trenton, Missouri, for a Region 16 doubleheader against the North Central Missouri College Pirates. SFCC lost game one 10-0 but won game two 5-4. 

In game one, the Pirates scored three runs in the second inning, two runs in the third and four in the fifth to seal the victory. 

Freshman Tyler Crane had two hits for SFCC. Freshman Jacob Clifton and sophomore Jake Quarti contributed one hit each. 

Freshman Roberto Ramirez pitched five innings, striking out four. 

In game two, SFCC scored a run in the fourth inning. The Pirates answered with a run in the bottom of the inning and added two runs in the fifth to take a 3-1 lead. 

SFCC scored single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game. North Central took the lead in the seventh 4-3. SFCC scored two runs in the eighth for the win. 

Clifton had an outstanding game at the plate. He hit two homeruns and had a team-high three RBIs. Freshmen Zack Ehlen and D.J. McNew each hit a homerun. Freshmen Chase Plymell, Derek Shikles and Chase Swisher had a hit each. Sophomore Tanner Cantrell scored a run. 

Freshman Jake McMahill had a good game on the mound. He pitched eight innings, allowing four runs and striking out 12. Freshman Alex Dyer pitched the final inning to record the save. 

On April 9, the teams met again in Sedalia at Dey Field for another doubleheader. North Central and SFCC split the games with the Pirates winning 17-14 and the Roadrunners winning 11-1.  

The Pirates scored a run in the first inning. SFCC responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning. North Central tied the score at two with a run in the second. 

SFCC jumped back in front 8-2 in the bottom of the second inning scoring six runs. North Central got a homerun and five runs to tie the score 8-8 and then scored to take the lead at 9-8. In the bottom of the fifth, SFCC scored two runs to take back the lead at 10-9. 

In the sixth inning, North Central exploded for eight runs to take a 17-10 lead. The Roadrunners responded with four in the seventh inning and had the tying run at the plate, but North Central hung on for the victory. 

Sophomore Payton Rawlins got the start on the mound for the Roadrunners. He pitched three innings and struck out six. Freshman Tyler Fennewald took the loss in relief. 

Ehlen had three hits, including two doubles to lead the Roadrunners. He also had three runs scored, an RBI and stole three bases. McNew and freshman Chase Swisher each recorded two hits. Cantrell scored three times and drove in two runs. Freshman Chris De Los Santos drove in three runs. Crane scored two runs, drove in a run and stole two bases. 

In the second game, SFCC scored first with a run in the first inning and added two runs in the second to lead 3-0. 

SFCC got back-to-back homeruns in the fourth inning. Cantrell hit a solo run homerun to right center field. Clifton was the next batter, and he launched a homerun to right center field. McNew hit a two-run homerun over the left center field wall to put his team up 7-0. SFCC added four runs in the bottom of the fifth to put the game away. 

Plymell pitched a complete game for SFCC, allowing one unearned run and scattering three hits. He recorded one strikeout. The game ended after six innings. 

McNew had three hits, scored a run and had three RBIs to lead SFCC. Crane drove in three runs. Freshman Kenneth Prado contributed two hits and scored two runs. Clifton and Swisher each scored two runs apiece. 

The Roadrunners record stands at 14-20, 7-17 in Region 16. 

David Rohrbach

SFCC Athletics