The No. 22 Central Methodist baseball team won three of four games in its first weekend at home in mixed doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.

The Eagles defeated Roosevelt (Ill.) 9-2 in a cold home opener Saturday but lost a close nightcap to Hastings College 8-6. Central finished strong on Sunday, sweeping Roosevelt 9-4 and defeating Hastings 8-3.

But before any games could be played, the team had to remove snow from the field leftover from Friday. With temperatures staying at or below freezing through Saturday, little melting had occurred. CMU coach Nate Breland said university groundskeepers helped remove snow, and every player had a shovel in his hands.

Once cleared, the artificial turf was in near pristine condition in time for the Eagles to make their home debut.

Game 1

Saturday, Feb. 17

Roosevelt 2

CMU 9

CMU right-hander Sebastian Escobar gave up one run in each of the first two innings of the home opener on Saturday, then settled in for three scoreless innings to earn his third win in three starts. The senior allowed just two earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts in five innings and issued four walks. 

Senior right-hander Marcus Pritchard struck out two batters and walked one in a scoreless sixth inning. Senior Larry Riddle, Jr. closed the game but gave up one final run in the seventh.

Central’s bats took two innings to warm up, then delivered three runs in the third inning to take a one-run lead. Junior shortstop David Soriano got things started in grand fashion with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the third. Then, with two outs, Roosevelt pitcher Jake Glickman issued a bases-loaded walk to score Valentin Cerna, Jr. from third, tying the game at 2-2. 

A second-consecutive bases-loaded walk gave Central the go-ahead run.

A sacrifice fly to center by Cerna in the bottom of the fourth allowed senior Bobby Nichols to score from third.

The Eagles’ bats exploded in the bottom of the sixth. Central scored five runs off six hits and a Lakers error to break the game open. Junior outfielder Carlos Negron started things off by crushing a leadoff home run over the center field wall. A sacrifice ground out, and two RBI singles plated three more runs for the Eagles. Nichols later scored his second run of the game when Negron was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Central delivered five extra-base hits, including home runs by Negron and Soriano.

Game 2

Saturday, Feb. 17

Hastings 8

CMU 6

Central’s bats remained hot for the beginning of Saturday’s second game but quickly cooled off in later innings as Hastings College scored eight runs in the final three frames.

After two scoreless innings, the Eagles delivered what they hoped would be a knockout punch with three home runs against Hastings pitcher James Velasquez in the third inning. With two outs, Nichols rocketed a pitch over the right field wall to put the game’s first run on the board. Cerna then doubled to right center then was sent home on a homer to left field by junior catcher Tanner Sears. In the next at-bat, Negron homered to right center to put the Eagles in front 4-0.

Despite giving up four runs on three home run blasts, Velasquez would emerge the game-winner after delivering seven strikeouts in six innings. The Broncos scored twice in the fifth inning and tied the game at four runs apiece with an RBI double and RBI single in the sixth inning. Hastings then drove in four more runs in the top of the seventh off a double and a home run to go up 8-4.

Central had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh. Down four runs, Junior Peyton Becker smashed a two RBI home run over left center to make the score 8-6. But Hastings’s pitcher delivered a strikeout and induced a groundout to close out the game with a two-run win for the Broncos.

Central pitcher Ray Ochoa took the loss after allowing two earned runs on four hits. The junior righty struck out seven of 19 batters faced in 4.1 innings on the mound. 

Game 3

Sunday, Feb. 18

Roosevelt 4

CMU 9

Central swept both games on Sunday to finish the opening weekend with three wins and one loss. First up Sunday was a 9-4 defeat over Roosevelt. 

Tanner Sears hit his second home run of the weekend with a three RBI blast to right field. 

Junior right-hander Foster Seitz picked up his second win of the season with a five-inning effort. He allowed four earned runs on six hits, including a two RBI home run in the top of the fifth.

Righties Alexander Billo and Justin Stedry allowed one hit each but allowed zero runs in the final two innings to preserve the win.

Tied 2-2 after one inning, Central exploded with four runs in the bottom of the second, which included the three-run blast from Sears.

Another run in the third and two more in the fifth tallied Central’s run total at nine for the game. The Lakers plated two runs in the top of the fifth on a two-run homer over the left field wall. Central’s defense held Roosevelt scoreless for the final two innings to sweep the Lakers.

Central drove in eight of its nine runs on nine hits. Nichols and Cerna both finished with two hits.

Game 4

Sunday, Feb. 18

Hastings 3

CMU 8

A four-run first inning set up the Eagles for a third win of the weekend. Down two runs in the bottom of the first, Sears drove in Nichols on an RBI double to left field. Negron then smashed a three-run homer to left to put the Eagles in front 4-0.

An RBI single from Cerna in the bottom of the second gave Central a three-run lead. Negron then blasted his second home run of the game in the bottom of the third. An RBI double by junior Diego Da Rin gave the Eagles a five-run lead.

Hastings was able to score just once more on an RBI single in the top of the sixth. Central answered with aggressive base running in the bottom of the frame and eventually scored on an error by the Bronco’s second baseman to make the score 8-3.

Central’s defense took care of business in the top of the seventh behind pitcher closer Landon Winningham, who sent Hastings packing with a final strikeout to end the game.

Junior Clayton Burke was superb on the mound for his second win of the season. The right-hander struck out nine batters in six innings. He allowed three earned runs on eight hits, including a first-inning home run, and issued only one walk.

Central’s batters drove in seven of their eight runs on 10 hits, including two home runs by Negron and doubles by Sears and Da Rin. Nichols finished the game with three hits in four at-bats. Cerna went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Negron finished 2-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Sears, Becker, and De Rin finished with one run apiece.

Central, now 8-2 overall, continues its long home stand with a game on Thursday against Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and Friday against Missouri Baptist. Both games start at 4:30 p.m. at Estes Field. The Eagles host Oklahoma City at noon on Sunday, followed by a bout with Columbia College at 3 p.m. for a mixed doubleheader.

The Eagles open Heart action next Saturday and Sunday with a four-game series against Graceland. Games start at 1 and 3:30 p.m. both days.