Raiders drop pair of games at Crowder

NEOSHO, Mo. — The Three Rivers College baseball team will head into the postseason on a bit of a sour note after the Raiders dropped both games of a doubleheader at Crowder on Saturday. The host Roughriders won the opener 7-5, then rallied to take the nightcap 7-6.

TRC took an early 1-0 lead in the opener, but Crowder scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and added individual runs in the second and fourth innings to take a 5-1 lead.

Three Rivers scored twice in the top of the fifth inning to cut the Roughriders lead in half, but Crowder tacked on a run in the bottom of the inning and another in the bottom of the sixth to extend its lead back to four runs.

The Raiders scored twice in the top of the seventh to make it interesting at the end, but could not complete the comeback.

Peyton Nelson and Logan McIntyre each had a pair of hits for TRC — including a solo homer for Nelson — while Brady Robertson drove in three runs.

It was a different story in the nightcap, as the Raiders took a 4-0 lead midway through the fifth inning. However, Crowder scored twice in the bottom of the fifth and three more times in the bottom of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead.

Three rivers scored two runs in the top of the eighth to briefly go back in front, but the Roughriders scored twice in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead for good.

Eli Marvin socked a pair of homers and drove in five runs, while Robertson, Tanner Duncan and Trent Buchanan each added a pair of hits.

The loss spoiled an impressive outing by Kailen Hamson, who struck out 12 batters in 4 1/3 innings. Hamson, Kole Turner and Payton Heinley combined to strike out 20 batters in the loss.

The Raiders are slated to begin postseason play Friday against Mineral Area at a location yet to be determined.