MVC Round-up Lady Vikings win five straight

Men's Wrestling: Missouri Valley will be seeking its fourth title when the NAIA Championships begin today at Oklahoma City. The fourth-ranked Vikings claimed their 10th Central Region crown Feb. 21 at York, Neb. Valley's national qualifiers and support staff which took part in the regional meet were (bottom row, from left) athletic trainer Carrie Harmon; managers Kaylee Peery, Jackie Ivie, Ashley Thomas and Chelsea House; (second row) head coach Mike Machholz and assistants Shawn Terryberry and Pat Giangrosso; wrestlers Jon Gerhold, Billy Exline, Paulie Hansen, Eric Graham, Joe Cornejo, Brian Graham; assistant coaches Hayden and (top row) Tony Eierman and wrestlers Brad Perkins, Ryan Sutton, Charlie Gibbs, Jesse Hulett, Alex McKinney, Chad Williams and Travis Ewart. (Photo contributed) [Click to enlarge]

SPRINGFIELD -- First baseman Cassidy Baggett was named Heart of America Conference softball "player of the week" for her performance in three Missouri Valley College wins.

The freshman from Santee, Calif., smashed three homers and knocked in eight runs during the week as the Lady Vikings reeled off five straight wins -- the last two Friday at the Evangel Early Bird Classic in Springfield.

Valley opened the meet with a 15-4, five-inning romp over Calumet (Ind.), a seven-run second inning keying the victory. Senior Esperanza Reyes and junior Janea Borrego homered, with juniors Wendy Garcia and Sydney Kaneshiro each driving in three runs against the Crimson Wave (0-1).

The Lady Vikings beat Rogers State (Okla.), 4-3, on Baggett's walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Hillcats (9-4) forced the extra frame with a solo homer by freshman Allison Bean in the seventh and took a one-run lead in the eighth.

An RBI triple by junior Edna Gutierrez tied the score ahead of Baggett's game-winning hit, avenging a 5-1 loss to Rogers State a week earlier.

Valley handed William Woods (5-1) its first loss of the season during Friday's finale, 9-5. The Lady Vikings got a two-run shot from senior Kimberly Fuller in the bottom of the first inning, with Baggett and Kaneshiro also going deep later.

Saturday's scheduled game against Williams Baptist (Ark.) was snowed out. Valley (7-5) will host Park for a pair of non-conference games Friday.

Baseball

LEBANON, Ill. -- McKendree's pitching held down Valley's bats during a non-conference doubleheader sweep Tuesday at chilly Lebanon, Ill., 6-1 and 3-2.

Senior Dusty Schallenberg and junior Kory Peppenhorst smashed solo homers as the Bearcats scored three runs during the first two innings of the opener. Senior Cale Johnson went the distance, allowing three hits and no earned runs, the Vikings' only score coming on junior Wes McCollum's RBI single in the fifth.

The nightcap was scoreless going into the bottom of the sixth, junior Kyle McClellan having thrown a two-hitter for Valley up to that point, but junior Joe Dickman smashed an RBI double and senior Craig Session plated two runs with a single to give McKendree (3-7) a 3-0 lead.

A single by junior Mark Leacox and senior Stephen Summers' grounder in the Vikings' seventh brought in two runs and put the tying runner on third base with one out, but junior Mark Chapman got a strikeout and pop-up to save the win.

Valley (2-7) will begin Heart of America Conference play with a pair of home-and-home twinbills this weekend against Avila, Saturday's first set being at Osage Field.

Men's Volleyball

PARKVILLE -- The Valley men's volleyball team won one of four matches over the weekend at the Park Tournament.

The Vikings were swept by seventh-ranked Warner Southern (Fla.), 30-23, 30-28, 31-29, and fell to King (N.Y.) in four games, 26-30, 30-24, 30-19, 30-22, Friday and lost Saturday to No. 8 St. Ambrose (Iowa) -- who they had beaten a week earlier -- 30-27, 23-30, 30-21, 30-26.

Valley salvaged a victory with its second shutout of Moody Bible Institute (Ill.), 30-14, 30-15, 30-23.

The Vikings were home for two non-conference matches early in the week, going the distance in another contest against Warner Southern before losing Monday, 30-23, 30-28, 22-30, 18-30, 15-11. Tenth-ranked Clark (Iowa) won in straight sets Tuesday, 30-27, 30-22, 30-25.

Valley (4-15) is currently being led by sophomore Josh DeLeon with 191 kills, sophomore Jay Hanagami with 188 digs and freshman Jaren Mauricio with 300 assists and 12 aces. The Vikings will host MAMVIC West rival Johnson and Wales (Colo.) Friday and Saturday.