Game 1: MidAmerica Nazarene 16, Evangel 11 | Box Score
Game 2: MidAmerica Nazarene 18, Evangel 0 | Box Score
Records: Evangel (11-14, 4-9); MidAmerica Nazarene (19-12, 9-4)
Location: Dixon Stadium

OLATHE, Kan. – MidAmerica Nazarene used a balanced offensive attack that produced 34 runs on 32 hits to post a Heart Conference doubleheader sweep of Evangel Friday afternoon at Dixon Stadium.

MNU registered a series of big innings, including a 10-run fifth that led to a 16-11 win in the opener, as well as a pair of seven-run rallies in game two en route to an 18-0 victory.

Game 1 – MidAmerica Nazarene 16, Evangel 11
Despite hitting five home runs, pounding out 14 hits and scoring in each of the final four innings, Evangel dropped the first game of the twin bill after the Pioneers scored 10 times in the fifth inning to seize control of the contest.

After negating an early 2-0 MNU lead, Evangel took a 5-4 advantage into the home half of the fifth, only to see the Pioneers record nine-straight hits en route to their big inning. The trio of Ryan Leo, Brycen Sherwood and Randy Fernandez not only sparked the rally with three-consecutive singles, they each added a second hit in the inning, as MNU sent 14 men to the plate.

Fernandez's single brought in the tying run, and Will Morris put the Pioneers on top to stay with his one-out base hit. Josh Compton delivered a two-run single, before Sherwood belted a two-run homer to cap the rally.

EU used a trio of home runs to score its first five runs of the day, evening the score at 2-2 on Tyler Coffelt's two-run shot in the second, before a Stephen Belcher round-tripper made it a 4-2 game in the fourth.

After MNU scored a pair of fourth-inning runs to tie the game, Noah Suiter added a solo shot in the top of the fifth to give EU a one-run lead again.

The Pioneers added two runs in the sixth to extend their lead to double-digits, before both Coffelt and Belcher hit their second home runs of the game—both two-run shots—to highlight EU's five-run seventh that accounted for the final margin.

Sherwood led MNU, going 3-for-3 with four RBIs, while Leo and Fernandez both added three-hit performances.

Coffelt (3-for-4) and Belcher each drove in four runs, combining for four homers to lead Evangel.

Game 2 – MidAmerica Nazarene 18, Evangel 0
MNU continued its offensive onslaught in game two, scoring four early runs to take control of the contest, before putting the game away with another monster fifth-inning rally—this time plating seven runs to stretch its lead to double-digits.

In all, six different Pioneers logged multi-RBI performances, helping MNU touch up EU pitchers for 15 hits.

On the mound, Jhon Vargas worked a complete-game shutout, allowing just one EU hit on a Jordan Yates first-inning single before cruising to the finish line with seven strikeouts.

The Pioneers got on the board via a two-out rally in the second, using Adam Rellihan's two-run single to establish a 2-0 lead. The home club struck with two outs again in the third, this time riding Austin Healy's two-out hit to left to double its cushion.

MNU delivered the knockout punch in the fifth, getting run-scoring hits from five different players as part of its seven-run rally. Josh Torrance kicked off the scoring with a two-run single, before both Rellihan and Daunte Freeman added run-scoring hits and Joshuan Sandoval added an RBI-double for the Pioneers.

Sherwood plated a run with an RBI grounder, and Jacob Jenkins drove home the final run of the inning with a base hit to left-center.

Rellihan logged a three-hit effort for MNU, and Kyle Franklin drove in three runs off the bench with his sixth-inning double that highlighted yet another seven-run rally by the Pioneers.

Up Next 
Evangel will conclude its series with MNU Saturday (April 3) with a 1 p.m. doubleheader in Olathe.

For the latest information on Evangel Athletics, follow the Crusaders on Facebook at Facebook.com/EUAthletics, Twitter (@EUAthletics), or visit EvangelAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the new Evangel Crusaders GamedayApp through Google Play. 

—EvangelAthletics.com—