La Crosse, Wis. – The Viterbo University baseball team dropped a Midwest Collegiate Conference doubleheader today to Iowa Wesleyan College 7-4 and 8-1.

In game one, neither team was able to put much of an offensive threat together over the first three innings. The Tigers of Iowa Wesleyan College would then breakthrough in the fourth as they scored two runs on two hits They would add a run in the fifth and then two more in the sixth as they took a 6-0 lead. Viterbo would finally get their offense going in the bottom half of the sixth as they scored four runs on three hits and an error.

Pinch hitters Brady Clark (So. – Greenwood, Ind.) and Spenser Williams (Jr. – Sacramento, Calif.) opened the inning with back-back walks. Jeff Clabots (Jr. – Brooklyn Park, Minn.) then singled and Blake Shepherd (Jr. – Mindoro, Wis.) walked to score Clark. Freshman Taylor Reinhardt (Medford, Wis.) then singled to score Williams while Clabots scored on a double play groundout by Kahtan Al-AKaissy (Sr. – Hopkins, Minn.). Shepherd would then score when Justin Stiever (So. – Cedarburg, Wis.) reached safely on an error. Iowa Wesleyan College added an insurance run in the seventh and would end the game in the seventh by not giving Viterbo much of a chance.

Junior Chris Dunn  (Hancock, Wis.) (4-8)suffered the loss on the mound for the V-Hawks as he allowed six runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings pitched. Martin Aguirre (Sr. – Wenatchee, Wash.) finished the game for the V-Hawks allowing one run on three hits in 1 2/3 innings. Jacob Sanchez picked up the win for the Tigers as he gave up just two hits in five innings of work while striking out seven. Shepherd led the V-Hawks offense as he finished 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

The Tigers opened game two by scoring two runs on two hits to take an early 2-0 lead. Viterbo would get one run back in the bottom half of the inning as Shepherd singled and advanced to third on a single by Reinhardt. Shepherd then scored on a sacrifice bunt by Al-Kaissy. After scoring a run in the second inning, the Tigers took full advantage of two Viterbo errors in the fourth inning which helped them score five runs. The Tigers also had five hits in the fourth to help break open the game. Viterbo was never able to really recover as they did not have much of a scoring threat the rest of the game.

Shepherd (2-5) started the game on the mound for the V-Hawks and suffered the loss as he allowed eight runs (3 earned) on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. Mark Bellatti (Sr. – San Diego, Calif.) came on in relief and allowed just three hits. Erik Allen (6-3) picked up the win for the Tigers as he allowed one run on five hits in six innings of work. Shepherd finished game two 1-3 with a run scored.

The losses drop Viterbo to 9-29 overall and 7-16 in MCC action. The Tigers improve to 20-29 overall and 13-10 in conference action. These two teams will finish the three game series up on Saturday when they meet for a single nine inning game tomorrow at 1:00 pm. Viterbo will then finish the home portion of their schedule on Sunday when they host UW-Stout for a non-conference doubleheader starting at 1:00 pm.