Des Moines, Iowa - The No. 6 Central Methodist Baseball team mounted a pair of late inning comebacks to complete a 3-1 weekend series win over Grand View Saturday afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Eagles defeated Grand View by scores of 6-2 and 10-9. Central now stands at 30-7 and 16-4 in the Heart of America, while the Vikings fall to 17-14 and 8-10 in conference action.
Central jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game one, as an RBI single from Jeremy Conforti plated Valentin Cerna Jr. from third.
Grand View would score runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 2-1 lead. Central tied the game in the top of the seventh on an RBI single from Carlos Negron to score Bobby Nichols, sending the game into extra innings.
Central would plate four runs on three hits while capitalizing on an error by the Grand View defense, which resulted in two unearned runs in the eighth. Highlighting the inning for the Eagles was a solo home run from Joseph Weatherford and a RBI double from Negron.
Marcus Pritchard would earn the win, as he pitched the final two innings and gave up just one hit and one walk while striking out two. Foster Seitz got the start on the bump, tossing six complete innings and allowed two earned runs and striking out four.
The finale was the highest-scoring game of the weekend, as both teams combined for 19 runs on 25 hits, including 11 for extra bases.
Both teams were tied at 4-4 at the conclusion of the second inning. Grand View would then plate five runs in the fourth to take a 9-4 lead.
Central was held without a run in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings before mounting a ferocious comeback in the top of the seventh.
Weatherford started the inning with a leadoff double to left field, followed by a walk from pinch hitter Trey Vorwald. After Dominic VanDoorne was hit by a pitch to load the bases, a single from Nichols to right field plated Weatherford.
A strikeout in the following at-bat brought Negron to the dish. The junior transfer cleared the bases with a grand slam to left field to tie the game at 9-9. It marked Negron's 16th home run of the year, which also leads the team.
Conforti put Central in front with his second homer of the day to left field in the following at bat.
Landon Winingham tossed the final inning on the mound, holding Grand View to just one hit and preserving the win for Central.
Conforti had a perfect day at the plate, batting four-for-four with three RBI and a pair of home runs. Negron picked up two hits in five at-bats, including an RBI double and the grand slam in the seventh.
Nichols and VanDoorne each picked up two hits as well.
Central remains on the road and will next travel to Missouri Valley College for a four-game series beginning Saturday, April 13 at 1:00 p.m. in Marshall.
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