Top-seeded Central Methodist went 1-2 to close its Heart Tournament run in Ozark, Missouri, over the weekend.

Central narrowly fell to fourth-seeded Baker 8-7 in a 12-inning bout on Friday but bounced back with a convincing 19-2 win over William Penn, the seventh seed, on Saturday. With a chance to play their way back into the championship game, the Eagles lost 9-8 to fifth-seeded MidAmerica Nazarene in an elimination game Sunday afternoon.

Game 1

4. Baker 8

1. CMU 7

Central fell in the first game of the Heart Conference Tournament to No. 4 seeded Baker University, 8-7, in 12 innings Friday night. It was a back-and-forth affair throughout the game, as Central held a 7-5 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Baker would plate two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to even the score at 7-7.

Both sides remained deadlocked until the bottom of the 12th inning when the Wildcats walked it off on an RBI single to left field.

Jeremy Conforti led the Eagle bats with an RBI triple and a double. Robbie Merced, Tanner Sears, and Logan Doody each picked up two hits. Bobby Nichols had the most efficient day at the plate for Central, batting .500, along with a run scored and a stolen base.

Alan West tossed the first six innings of the game, striking out five batters. Justin Guzman, Clayton Burke, Larry Riddle Jr., and Alexander Billo also saw action on the bump for the Eagles.

Game 2

7. Wm. Penn 2

1. CMU 19

Against the Statesmen, the Eagles plated 19 runs on 18 hits, including seven hits for extra bases. Central’s two big innings came in the second and fourth, scoring seven and eight runs, respectively. 

The offensive production primarily came off the bats of Bobby Nichols, Robbie Merced, Jeremy Conforti, and Joey Fitzgerald Jr. Nichols batted 2-for-5 with two runs scored, a walk, and three RBI. Merced matched Nichols with two hits, including a two-RBI double and a two-RBI triple.

Conforti finished the afternoon just a home run short of the cycle, picking up a single, a double, and a triple while also driving in three runners. Fitzgerald Jr. batted a perfect 3-for-3 with two walks and four RBI.

Sebastian Escobar had a masterful showing on the bump, tossing a complete game and giving up just one earned run on eight hits with two walks. He also struck out six batters to earn his eighth win of 2023.

Game 3

5. MidAm 9

1. CMU 8

The Eagles led big against the fifth-seeded Pioneers in another elimination game Sunday afternoon. The Eagles held leads of 6-0, 7-1, and 8-2 in the latter part of the game, but MNU’s offense exploded for five runs in the seventh to trim the lead to just one. 

MidAm then scored two runs in the eighth inning to pull out in front 9-8. Central was unable to answer as the Pioneers pulled off the comeback victory.

Fitzgerald, Jr. led the Eagle offense with two hits in four trips, driving in three runners. Nichols, Merced, Conforti, Tommaso Giarola, and Joseph Weatherford also drove in runners.

Marcus Pritchard got the start on the mound for Central with two strikeouts in six complete innings. Justin Guzman, Alfred Ulloa, Alexander Billo, and Clayton Burke also saw action on the bump.

The Eagles will now look toward the NAIA National Tournament. Central will host an Opening Round next week at Estes Field beginning Monday, May 15. Central will learn its opponents during the NAIA Baseball selection show, set to premiere at 4 p.m. on Thursday on the NAIA YouTube Channel.