The North Central Missouri College Pirates and Mineral Area Cardinals met in Region 16 baseball action on Saturday in Park Hills, with the Pirates wasting Anfreney Hoeve’s pitching brilliance to a 2-1 loss, but riding another strong performance from the mound, this time by Kylan Easley, for a 5-1 road win.
In the 2-1 loss, Hoeve struck out seven batters, but took a no-decision. Andrew Faustlin was saddled with the loss, giving up a run over 2/3 innings of work. A RBI grounder by Derek Hussey scored the only run of the game for NCMC. That tally gave the Pirates the lead, but Mineral Area tied the game with an RBI triple in the fourth inning, and took the lead, and eventually the win, courtesy of a seventh inning sacrifice fly.
Kylan Easley, in the 5-1 North Central victory, scattered nine hits in the complete game effort, going nine strong and giving up only one run, no walks, and striking out three batters.
An RBI single by Dennis Pogue gave the Pirates a first-inning lead, with NCMC adding insurance with two runs in the third and two more in the sixth. Derek Hussey had three hits (all singles) in the win. Landon Figg contributed an RBI single.
