FAYETTE, Mo. – Evangel hit the road to take on Heart South conference foe Central Methodist on Sunday to begin a four game series. The nationally ranked Eagles had no shortage of offense on Sunday as they bested the Valor, 24-2 and 7-5, respectively.
HIGHLIGHTS
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The Valor fell victim to a large offensive outburst in game one, allowing 24 runs to be scored, the most by an Evangel opponent since April 21st, 1999, when EU was defeated by Southwest Missouri, 30-4.
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Levi Loughridge (3-3) recorded the loss in game one on Sunday after a tough outing against the high powered CMU offense.
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In game two, Evangel found themselves in a hole early, but nearly fought back thanks to a strong seventh inning, ultimately falling short, 7-5
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Wyatt Keplar (1-3) started game two and Jed Montgomery recorded quality innings in relief to keep the CMU lead close.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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Athanie Leeviraphan doubled to kick off the game for Evangel and was scored after Dalton Cook singled, giving Evangel a 1-0 lead.
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Central Methodist used their half of the first inning to grab a lead by scoring two runs.
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The Eagles used multiple hits and two EU errors to score six runs in the second inning, four runs courtesy of an Eagle grand slam.
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The Valor scored their final run of the game in the third inning after Jeremy Vickers doubled to center field, scoring Leeviraphan who had singled to get on base.
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CMU scored 16 runs over the final four innings to put the game out of Evangel's reach.
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In game two, both Evangel and CMU scored in the first two innings to tie the game. Brandon Ulm singled to score Noah Suiter after he reached first on an error.
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CMU used a strong bottom of the second, scoring five runs to take a 6-1 lead.
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EU narrowed the Eagle lead in the fourth inning when Stephen Belcher singled to score Cook and Suiter, making it a 6-3 ballgame.
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The Eagles added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 7-3 lead. The Valor fought valiantly to make the game interesting in the final inning, scoring two runs, thanks to a CMU error and a Cook single. Evangel fell just short in the inning with the game winning run at the plate, but ultimately fell, 7-5.
NOTABLE
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Leeviraphan played well in game one, recording two hits to add to his team leading total and was scored twice throughout game one.
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Belcher recorded two RBIs in game two, leading the team.
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Montgomery gave up just one run in his relief innings in game two, giving Evangel a chance for the comeback.
UP NEXT
Evangel will continue their four game series on Monday (Mar. 21) against Central Methodist. Games are set to begin at noon in Fayette, Mo.
For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, visit Facebook at Facebook.com/EvangelValor, Twitter (@EvangelValor), or EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on their favorite EU teams by downloading the Evangel Athletics Gameday App through the App Store or Google Play.
