Turgasen's Gem Highlights Mount Mercy Doubleheader Sweep over Missouri Valley

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Mustang baseball program earned their fourth consecutive home win, starting the home schedule 7-1 behind hot hitting and a gem on the mound in game two from Jack Turgasen.

Game One

The Mustangs wasted no time getting the offense started, scoring three in the first inning. Jeremy Figueroa drove in the first run of the game following a leadoff triple from Jaden Hackbarth, making it a one run lead. Tyler Pecson followed that up with an RBI single to center field, scoring Bryce Brown. The third run of the inning came on a Garrett Dennis double to right center, scoring Pecson.

The Vikings of MVC got on the board after Sota Suzuki doubled to left field, driving in a run. But Pecson would only increase the Mustang lead in his next at bat, homering to left center, fighting against the wind blowing to left, increasing the lead to four. The Vikings, however, would answer after Suzuki drove in his second run of the game on a sacrifice fly, while Joe Hedger followed that up with a two-run single up the middle, scoring Connor Bell and Shumpei Kaneko.

The Mustangs would answer with a pair in the fifth, as Josh Notriano singled to left, scoring Darrell Michael Jean, while Nick Meyer drove in Notriano on a double to right field. The final run of the game came as Dennis drove inanother on a single to center, scoring Figueroa.

Tyler Nagelbach earned the victory, improving his record to 3-1, pitching just under five innings while allowing eight hits and four runs, striking out five. Caleb Monnig was tabbed with the loss for the Vikings, pitching three innings while allowing seven hits and five runs.

Game Two

Hot bats were one of a few stories of the series finale, as the Mustangs exploded for seven runs over the first two innings.

Pecson drove in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly, while Brown came across to score on a wild pitch in the first inning. In the second, Cedric Dunnwald drove in Drew Terpins on a sac fly, as Terpins would catch the Vikings napping and score from second on a routine fly ball to center field. Hackbarth would follow that up with an RBI single to right center, while Dennis drove in three more runs to his already impressive day, tripling to right field, driving in Pecson, Brown, and Figueroa.

In the fifth inning, the Mustangs would tack on two more, as Notriano tripled to right, while Derek Einertson drove in Notriano on a sac fly, as the Mustangs ended the game with a nine run win.

Jack Turgasen was phenomenal on the mound, nearly throwing a no-hitter. Turgasen would take a perfect game bid into the fifth before a fielding error would end the perfect game bid. His no-hitter would stay in tact though, until two outs in the sixth inning when MVC finally recorded a hit in the game. Turgasen would exit the game earning the win, throwing six innings and allowing just one hit while striking out eight. Jed Garner was tabbed with the loss, throwing 1.1 innings and allowing four runs and two walks.

The Mustangs will continue their homestand on Tuesday, with a single game against Waldorf, before picking up Heart of America action once more next weekend with another home slate, this time against Culver-Stockton.