C-SC baseball team one victory away from clinching playoff berth in Heart postseason tournament

ATCHISON, Kan. — A two-hitter by Davin Meyer helped the Culver-Stockton College baseball team inch closer to a berth in the Heart of America Athletic Conference postseason tournament with a 3-1 victory over Benedictine College Friday afternoon at Laughlin Field.

Benedictine banged out 12 hits to pick up a 10-4 victory in the nightcap to earn a split of the Heart of America Athletic Conference doubleheader.

The Wildcats (19-23, 13-17 in the Heart) can clinch a playoff berth with one victory Saturday in a doubleheader against the Ravens or with losses by Clarke and Peru State. The doubleheader concludes the regular season.

Meier allowed just a single and a double in the third inning when the Ravens plated their only run. Meier pitched around seven walks but struck out four to earn his second victory.

C-SC took the lead for good in the fourth inning when Tristan Meny, who had doubled, scored on an error. An insurance run was scored in the sixth inning when Bryan Barreto was hit by a pitch to start the frame. The next two Wildcats struck out, but courtesy runner Eli Friend  advance to second on a wild pitch. Ryan Osso then singled to center to score Friend.

A pair of walks and a wild pitch put the tying runs in scoring position for the Ravens in the sixth inning with two outs. However, Meier got out of the jam with a flyout to right field.

Benedictine jumped out to a 4-0 lead after four innings in the second game, but Jeremiah Morris hit a three-run homer in the fifth to get the visitors within 4-3. However, the Ravens responded with six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.