Baseball Picks Up Game Two Win Over Park in Doubleheader

Kansas City, Kan., (April 4, 2026)-  The Missouri Valley College baseball team opened a Heart of America Athletic Conference series against Park (Mo.) with a Saturday afternoon doubleheader at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kan.  The Vikings lost late in game one, 7-1, then led early and scored late for a 13-3 win in game two.

Missouri Valley went in front early in the first game, as Sophomore Second Baseman Sota Suzuki (Aichi, Japan) led off the top of the first inning with a walk, followed by a double from Senior Leftfielder Shumpei Kaneko (Saitama, Japan).  Junior Rightfielder Alex Alton (Jacksonville, Mo.) brought home Suzuki on a grounder, and MVC held a 1-0 lead.  Sophomore Pitcher Philip Rushman (Lincoln, Neb.) faced the minimum in the bottom half of the inning, then worked around a pair of singles in the bottom of the second inning by inducing a double-play grounder to Suzuki at second base in the bottom of the second.  The third inning was scoreless, as both teams hit into double-plays to end their respective at-bats.  The double-play in the bottom of the third was started by Freshman Third Base Brennan Nickerson (St. Louis, Mo.).  Missouri Valley next threatened in the top of the fifth, as Sophomore Shortstop Bradley Johnson (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) singled, then reached third on a dropped third strike.  Johnson tried to score on the play, but was caught out at home.  The Vikings loaded the bases in the inning, as Alton singled and Nickerson walked, however all three runners were left stranded to keep it at a 1-0 score.  The Pirates worked back to tie the game in the bottom half, using a triple and a sac-fly to score their first run of the contest.  Park eventually put two runners on-base later in the inning, but Rushman got out of the jam and left the two runners stranded.  The Vikings were unable to put anyone on-base in the top of the sixth, while Park went on a rally in the bottom half of the inning.  A total of six runs were scored on three hits and four walks to put MVC in a 7-1 deficit.  Missouri Valley tried to work back in the top of the seventh, as Johnson led off with a walk, followed by a single from Suzuki.  However, a double-play helped end the rally attempt, and the Vikings fell, 7-1.

Alton led with three hits and one RBI, while Suzuki had one hit and one run scored.  Rushman went five innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs.

Game two opened with both teams held scoreless through two innings of play.  Freshman Pitcher Justin Case (Fulton, Mo.) stranded one runner in the bottom of the first inning, while the Vikings loaded the bases in the top of the second inning, but left all three runners on-base to end the at-bat.  Missouri Valley produced from the plate in the top of the third, which started on a walk from Suzuki.  Kaneko singled to score Suzuki, while Nickerson doubled to bring home both Alton and Kaneko.  A Pirate error later in the inning allowed Nickerson to reach home safely and give MVC a 4-0 advantage.  Case followed by taking down Park in order for the second-straight inning.  Missouri Valley added to its lead in the top of the fourth as Johnson reached safely to open the at-bat after being hit, and Suzuki singled.  Kaneko drove home Johnson with a single, and both Kaneko and Suzuki scored on a two-out single from Junior Designated Hitter Masayoshi Hattori (Tokyo, Japan) to extend the advantage out to 7-0.  Case worked around a pair of singles in the bottom of the fourth inning, getting out of the jam with an inning-ending double-play hit to Suzuki at second base, then struck out one batter and left two runners stranded to end the bottom of the fifth inning.  The Vikings threatened in the top of the sixth, loading the bases on two walks and a hit batter.  Park got out of the situation with a double-play to help keep it at a 7-0 score.  The bottom half of the inning featured two strikeouts from Case, but the Pirates put together a two-out rally to score three runs and cut the team's deficit down to 7-3.  The Vikings followed with a long at-bat in the top of the seventh.  A total of 12 batters came to the plate as the team produced six runs off five hits and two walks.  The first run scored on a sac-fly hit by Junior Catcher Josh Hudson (Kansas City, Mo.), and Suzuki drove in two runs with a double.  Senior Rightfielder Colton Campbell (Aledo, Texas) scored Suzuki with a single, and Freshman Designated Hitter Charles Bedosky (Kansas City, Mo.) worked a bases-loaded walk to bring home the final run of the inning, and give the team a 13-3 advantage.  Park's final at-bat ended in a double-play hit to Suzuki at second base as the Vikings earned a 13-3 win to split the doubleheader.

Hattori led with three hits and two RBIs, while both Suzuki and Kaneko had two hits, three runs scored and two RBIs.  Nickerson totaled one hit, one run and two RBIs.  Case picked up the win, going 5.2 innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs with three strikeouts.

Missouri Valley moves to 3-31 overall and 3-11 in the Heart.  Park sits at 13-19 on the season and 3-11.

Up next, the two teams will play another doubleheader, Monday beginning at 1 p.m., in Parkville, Mo.

Game 1 Box Score-Click Here

Game 2 Box Score-Click Here

About Missouri Valley College

Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.