Graceland Baseball Battles in Tough Loss to Mission
OZARK, Mo. – The Graceland University Yellowjackets fought through challenging conditions but came up short against Mission (Mo.), falling 10-8 in a tightly contested matchup on Saturday. The loss moves Graceland to 4-6 overall, while Mission (Mo.) improves to 3-1 on the season.
Game Recap: Mission (Mo.) 10, Graceland 8
Graceland opened the scoring in the top of the first, capitalizing on defensive miscues by Mission (Mo.). Gabriel Perez put the Yellowjackets ahead with an RBI double to right, scoring Zach Tanabe. Jayden Gilbert then reached on an error, allowing Perez to come around and make it 2-0.
Mission (Mo.) quickly responded in the bottom half, tying the game on a two-run double from D. Blehm. They added another run in the third before breaking the game open in the fourth and fifth innings, using a combination of timely hitting and defensive lapses to build a 9-2 lead.
Graceland clawed back in the sixth with a five-run rally. Jayden Gilbert sparked the comeback with an RBI single, followed by a bases-loaded walk to Juan Guzman that brought in another run. Ramsel Jerez worked another RBI walk, and Ian Martinez grounded out to drive in a run, cutting the deficit to 9-7.
In the eighth, Zach Tanabe lifted a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Matt Klonsinski, trimming the lead to 9-8, but Mission (Mo.) tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half to make it 10-8.
Graceland had one final chance in the ninth, but Mission (Mo.) closer G. Hunter recorded the final outs to seal the win.
On the mound, Elio Narvaez (0-1) took the loss, working four innings and allowing five earned runs. Mason Krogsgaard, Victor Leonardo, and Kellen Cameron combined for the final four innings, with Cameron allowing just one unearned run in 2.1 innings of relief.
Offensively, Gabriel Perez, Jayden Gilbert, and Ramsel Jerez each contributed an RBI, while Jerez was the only Yellowjacket with multiple hits. Graceland capitalized on seven walks but struggled to string together hits, finishing with just five on the day.
Coach Payne's Postgame Comments
"Any time you're battling the elements as a player or coach, you've got to come ready to make adjustments on the fly," said head coach Brad Payne. "Windy, cold-weather games are the norm this time of year, so we've got to come prepared for that and not let it deter our focus. Early on, I felt like it did. We spent a lot of unnecessary energy early, complaining about how the game was being called. Once we moved past that and settled down, we really played pretty well.
"After getting down 9-2, we were able to put up a five-spot in the sixth and cut the lead to 9-7. That put us back in the game, but after a couple of late mistakes, we just weren't able to climb all the way back. It was still a great test for us, and we just want to continue to make improvements as we move along in preparation for the conference season."
Up Next for the Yellowjackets
Graceland will travel to Kansas City next weekend to compete at Homefield Baseball Complex. The Yellowjackets will take on Dakota State and Midland University on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., followed by matchups against Dickinson State and Waldorf on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
For more information on Graceland Baseball and all Graceland Athletics, visit GUjackets.com.