FAYETTE, Mo. – The (RV) Raven Baseball team earned a 5-4 win in the third game of their series with (4) Central Methodist University on Monday.
The Eagles salvaged a split with the Ravens taking the series finale 9-4 to win the series over the Ravens.
In Monday's opener, Hunter Ostertag threw three innings in relief to preserve the win for Mark Hartley. Hartley threw the first four innings, giving up four runs off five hits before Ostertag threw the final three innings, holding CMU to just one hit with five strikeouts to earn the save.
Michael Slaten and Daryl Myers each recorded a double at the plate in the win with Slaten recording three RBI. Brandon Van Beceleare added an RBI to round out the Ravens efforts at the plate.
Game 1 - Central Methodist 4, Benedictine 3.
Michael Slaten hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 3-3 before the Eagles scored on a fielder's choice in the bottom half of the inning to open the series with a win.
Michael Kruse threw five and one-third innings, giving up three runs off six hits with three strikeouts before Slaten threw the final inning-plus of the game to suffer the loss.
Jackson Doherty and Jacob Pavlyak each recorded two hits with Doherty recording a double to round out the Ravens efforts at the plate.
Game 2 - Central Methodist 8, Benedictine 2.
The Eagles held the Ravens scoreless through the first five innings en route to their game-two win.
Luke Caruthers suffered his first loss of the season on the hill for the Ravens. He threw two and one-third innings, giving up four runs off six hits.
Danny Favazza went 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI while Slaten added a double and RBI in the loss.
Game 4 - Central Methodist 9, Benedictine 4.
Benedictine rallied for a three-run fourth inning but couldn't get any more runs over the final three innings as they suffered the series-ending loss.
Matt Piontek suffered the loss. He threw two and one-thirds innings giving up three runs off four hits.
Benedictine was limited to just three hits at the plate. Jordan Williams hit a double and recorded an RBI while Jack Harpole and Nathan Huber recorded an RBI each.
The Ravens remain on the road next weekend, traveling to Lamoni, Iowa, for a cross-divisional series with Graceland University. The Ravens have also earned a home series the final weekend of the regular season on April 31 and May 1 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent as they have clinched the No. 3 position in the Heart South standings.
