PARKVILLE, Mo. – Park University took the Heart of America Athletic Conference series over Baseball on Friday and Saturday as the series shifted from the originally scheduled Saturday-Sunday series.
While the Pirates broke out in the second game of the series, the remaining three were tightly contested between the two teams. The Pirates won the opener 3-2 before closing out play on Friday, 17-9. Saturday, the Ravens fell 6-1 before the Pirates walked off the series finale to win game four 7-5.
Lance Bolles went the distance for the Ravens in the series opener, limiting the Pirates to just 1 earned run over 6 innings off 3 hits. Defensively, the Ravens committed 2 errors in support of Bolles, which led to 2 unearned runs in the 3-2 loss.
Dominic Ferrari finished the game with an RBI double while Benson Smith added an RBI.
In the second game of the series, 8 of the Pirates 17 runs were earned as the Ravens fell by 8 runs.
Scott Matzke suffered the loss. He threw 2.2 innings, giving up 3 earned runs off 8 hits with 3 strikeouts before the Ravens sent four more pitchers to the hill to finish the game.
The Ravens finished with 13 hits at the plate. Ferrari went 3 for 4 with a double, 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. JK Sparks finished with 3 hits while Matthew Johnson Brice Martin both went 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored each.
Park limited Benedictine to 5 hits in game three on Saturday as they earned a 5-run win.
Avery Baber suffered the loss, throwing 4 innings. He gave up 3 runs off 5 hits with 5 strikeouts before Ryan Jackson finished the final 2 innings. Jackson allowed 1 earned run off 4 hits to finish off the game.
Sparks was the only Ravens with a multi-hit game, going 2 for 3 while Johnson had a sac-fly to record the only RBI for the Ravens.
In the series finale, the Ravens tied the game at 5 headed into the bottom of the seventh and were down to one out from forcing extra innings before the Pirates hit a 2-run home run to earn the 2-run win.
Nic Mozingo earned the no-decision on the hill. He threw 4 innings, giving up 3 runs off 6 hits with a pair of strikeouts before Nolan Haas finished off the game. Over 2.2 innings, Haas gave up 3 earned runs off 3 hits to suffer the loss.
Benedictine finished with 10 hits at the plate as Martin went 4 for 4 with 3 runs and a triple. Ferrari added a double while Carson Hintz went 2 for 3 with a run scored.
The Ravens return to Laughlin Field at Olsen Stadium for a four-game series on Saturday and Sunday with Baker University. Both doubleheaders are scheduled to start at Noon.
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