NEOSHO, MO – Iowa Western Reivers Baseball began their 2022 season this past weekend with a four-game series against the Crowder College Roughriders.

The weekend started with the Reiver bats coming out swinging, scoring 8 runs in the first four innings of the year. The offense was led by Dylan Robertson, Jacob Gish, and Daniel Contreras who had 2 hits each. Evan O'Toole started the game for "Team 48," throwing 3 innings and giving up 2 runs. He was followed by Braden Berry who threw one inning and then Michael Finan and Jared Lessman combined to throw the final 3 scoreless innings. The Reivers won their first game of the year with a 9-3 final, Evan O'Toole got the win, and Brady Christensen and Dayvin Johnson hit homeruns.

Brant Hogue toed the rubber for the night game, throwing 3.1 innings giving up 4 runs but striking out 10. The offense was muted except for Dayvin Johnson, Jacob Gish, and Marcus Heusohn who combined for 3 of the team's 4 hits as well as all of the runs scored and RBI. The highlight of the game was Freshman Adam Stanton's debut performance, he left the Roughriders scoreless while striking out 8 in his 4.2 innings of work. The Reivers fell in the bottom of the 9^th with a walk off single by Crowder.

Day Two began with Ernie Day on the mound, he kept the Roughriders scoreless for the first third of the game only giving up a run in his last inning of work, finishing with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Down 2-1 in the top of the 7^th and final inning, Alec Patino helped the Reivers take the lead with a 3 run homerun, scoring Nelson Phillips and Dayvin Johnson. Daniel Wright kept the game close with 2 innings of work allowing 1 run and striking out 3, and Logan Runde shut the door in the bottom of the 7^th giving up 2 hits but striking out 3 batters, securing his first save of the season and the win for the Reivers.

The final game of the series was a high scoring affair. Thomas Egan started for the Reivers and was followed by 6 other Reiver pitchers, the total stat line for the day was 7 earned runs, 4 walks, and 14 strikeouts over 8 innings of play. The offense was led by again by Alec Patino, who hit another 3 run homerun in addition to a single on the day. Dylan Robertson, Marcus Heusohn, and Nelson Phillips each collected 2 hits as well in the 12-7 loss for the Reivers.

Iowa Western heads down to Neosho County Community College this Sunday to begin a four-game set starting at 2pm on Sunday. All games will be 7 innings, the Monday double-header begins at 12pm.