Raiders sweep East Central

The Three Rivers College baseball team turned in a pair of strong performances on the diamond Wednesday afternoon to sweep a doubleheader from the East Central Falcons at Roger Pattillo Field.

The Raiders took the opener 11-6 and the nightcap 9-7 to improve to 16-7 on the season. TRC has won 14 of its last 18 games after a 2-3 start to the season.

In Wednesday’s nightcap, the Raiders rallied twice, first from a 5-0 first-inning deficit and again in the bottom of the bottom of the sixth inning after East Central had tied the score again.

With the score tied 7-7 in the bottom of the sixth, Tanner Duncan was hit by a pitch with two outs and Cooper McClure singled up the middle to put runners at first and second. After a balk moved both runners into scoring position, Trey Fikes singled to left to score McClure and pinch-runner K.J. Merriweather with the go-ahead — and eventual winning — runs.

Hayden Cuthbertson retired the side in the top of the seventh inning to save it for winning pitcher Tyler Vincent.

Nelson led the offense with three hits, while Duncan, McClure and Manny Alberto each had a pair. Duncan and Fikes each drove in two runs.

In the opener Wednesday, the Raiders scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning to get the early momentum and never let go of it.

Eli Marvin singled with one out and later scored when Grant Fitch’s groundball was misplayed for the game’s first run, then Brady Robertson hit a sacrifice flyball to drive home Duncan and make it 2-0. Fitch capped the rally by stealing third base, then scoring when the throw went wild.

Three Rivers added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning when Alberto scored on Fikes’s sacrifice fly and Marvin doubled home Mason Krznarich to make it 5-1.The Raiders added four more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Marvin grand slam and two more in the sixth to cap their offensive attack.

Alberto had three hits to pace the TRC offense, while Fikes added two RBIs.

Jaden Anderson got the win in relief of starter Caden Crask-Weeks. The duo combined to allow three hits and one earned run in five innings on the hill.

__Raiders split series with St. Louis__

The Raiders also split a recent four-game series with St. Louis Community College. TRC won Saturday’s opener in St. Louis 4-2, but lost the second game 10-5 later that day.

Two days later, the two teams took the series down here, with the Archers winning the opener 2-1 and Three Rivers winning Monday’s nightcap 13-8.

Colton Sims won the series opener in St. Louis, striking out eight and allowing just one run, five hits and four walks in six innings of work. Nelson, Alberto and Fikes each had two hits, while Fikes drove in a pair of runs and Marvin added a solo homer.

Nelson had three hits in Saturday’s nightcap. while Grant Fitch added a pair and Krznarich homered and also drove in two runs.

In Monday’s opener, Stuart Tharle and Hunter Bell combined on a four-hitter, but three Archers pitchers allowed just two hits and one run as TRC took a tough-luck loss.

Duncan homered twice, singled and drove in five runs in Monday’s nightcap, while Grant Fitch added four hits and two RBIs and Marvin drove in three runs.

__Up next__

Three Rivers is slated to be back in action Friday when it host Metropolitan Community College of Kansas City, Missouri for a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for noon.