Raiders take three of four from Shawnee

The Three Rivers college baseball team took three games of a four-game home-and-home series with the Shawnee Saints from Pulaski County, Illinois to get over the .500 mark for the first time this season.

The Raiders split two games at Shawnee Tuesday, winning the opener 13-0 before dropping the second game 4-3, then swept a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Roger Pattillo Field by identical 10-0 scores.

In Wednesday's opener, Three Rivers (4-3) scored all 10 of their runs in the first three innings while three Raiders hurlers combined on a four-hit shutout as the game ended midway through the fifth thanks to the 10-run rule.

Cooper McClure had two hits and drove in three runs, while Peyton Nelson had two hits and drove in a pair.

Trey Benthal earned the win in relief of starter Josh McDonald, as they and reliever Levi Fischer combined to allow four hits and two walks in six innings of work while striking out six.

The Raiders scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning of Wednesday's nightcap to break open a close game and again enforce the 10-run rule after five innings.

Alberto, Brady Robertson and Tanner Duncan each had two hits for Three Rivers, while Duncan and Mason Krznarich both homered. Krznarich drove in three runs, while Trey Fikes drove in a pair.

Hunter Bell and Steven Henley combined on a one-hit shutout, with Bell starting and going four innings and Henley tossing a hitless fifth.

In Tuesday's opener in Pulaski County, the Raiders scored at least two runs in every inning from the third inning on and enforced the 10-run rule after six innings.

Manny Alberto had four hits, homered and drove in four runs to lead the offense, while Grant Fitch had three hits — including a triple — Eli Marvin singled, homered and drove in three runs and K.J. Merriweather drove in two runs.

Tyler Vincent started and tossed four innings of scoreless, one-hit ball, striking out five and walking two.

It was a different story in Tuesday's nightcap, as the host Saints took a 4-1 lead after five innings and held off a late rally to salvage a split.

Krznarich doubled twice and drove in two runs, while Fikes added two singles and drove in TRC's other run.

Tanner Pierce started and took the loss despite allowing just one earned run in four innings on the hill. He struck out five, walked none and scattered six hits.

The Raiders host Rock Valley out of Rockford, Illinois for a four-game series this weekend, with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.