The Park University baseball program continued in Heart of America Athletic Conference play with MidAmerica Nazarene University for a Friday/Saturday series and the Pioneers claimed three wins against the Pirates in Olathe, Kan., 3-5, 3-16, 9-4, 8-10.

Overall Park is now 13-20 and 7-13 in conference play, while the Pioneers are 20-17 and 13-7 of the same. This is MidAmerica Nazarene's third conference series win of the season.

Four Pirates hit above .400 in the series, including Billy Rivera, Yadiel Santana, Ricardo Hernandez, and Zayne Morrow. Rivera led Park with a eight-for-14 performance for a .571 average, while Santana, Hernandez, and Morrow chalked up averages of .545, .467, and .455; respectively.

Morrrow, Trent Turner, and Bryce Dye each homered in the series, while Turner and Hernandez also posted two doubles each.

Five RBI's were driven in by Santana and one RBI behind him was Turner with four.

Morrow and Dye each contributed two RBI's in the series and are the team leaders in RBI's this season with 28 and 22, respectively.

Both sides were close in total hits in the series, as Park had 36 to MidAmerica Nazarene's 37. Within the Pioneers hitting numbers were also 19 extra base-hits compared to Park's seven.

35 runs came in for the Pioneers in the series, while Park had 23 of the same. Park's pitching had three less walks allowed at 15 to MidAmerica Nazarene's 18. MidAmerica Nazarene had the advantage in strikeouts with 28 by their staff and 20 for Park.

Defensively, Park only committed one error and the Pioneers had five.

GAME 1 | L, 3-5 | Box Score

The lowest scoring game was in the first go around between these two teams. Still, it was not a bad offensive showing by any means as Park out hit the Pioneers, eight to seven.

All of Park's runs came in the first inning, scoring three runs on four hits. Alex Rodriguez singled to start things off and then with two outs, Hernandez doubled and Zayne Morrow hit a two-run home run for the quick 3-0 lead.

Adam Stilts started on the mound for Park and shutout the Pioneers through three innings. Four runs on four hits came in for the Pioneers in the fourth inning though, including a two-run home run.

Another run scored in the bottom of the fifth, brining the game to its final score, 5-3.

Stilts threw his fifth complete game of the season and struck our four Pioneers in his start.

GAME 2 | L, 3-16 | Box Score

16 hits and 16 runs came in for the Pioneers in the second game of the series, scoring in all six innings.

After the first inning it was 3-0 MidAmerica Nazarene, but the Pirates came up with two runs in the next half inning, 3-2. Four hits and one error gave Park the early opportunity for runs, highlighted by Turner and Santana singles to bring in the two runs.

Another run scored in the bottom of the second, making it a 4-2 game. Morrow answered right back in the top of the third with an RBI single to cut the deficit back to one run, 4-3.

12 more runs over the next four innings was too much for Park to comeback from though and game two was decided, 16-3.

Hunter Edwards went three innings on the mound, striking out four. He was relieved by John Brady, Mason Sipes, and Seth Brecheen who each went one inning on the mound.

GAME 3 | W, 9-4 | Box Score

The Pirates scored in three different innings in game three with a massive six-run inning coming in the third to raise themselves above the Pioneers, 9-4.

Guillermo Gelpi pitched six strong innings and only allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Bryce Perdieu finished things off in the bottom of the seventh and did not allow a hit.

Hernandez got the offense going in the first inning with an RBI single, but the floodgates opened in the third inning on four hits and an error to go up, 7-0.

Dye was hit by a pitch with one out and then Hernandez got Dye to third on a double to left field. With two-outs, Park scored all six of their runs, aided by an error and a wild pitch and two walks.

Santana and Corey Bradford had singles in the inning and Armando Ramirez drew the walk with the bases loaded for the fourth run. Rivera kept swinging a hot bat and scored two more Pirates on a single to left field.

In the next inning, Santana gave his squad some insurance with a two-run single to right field, his third RBI of the game.

GAME 4 | L, 8-10 | Box Score

It was a high-scoring affair by both sides in the final game of the series and for the second straight game Park out hit the Pioneers, 10-9. There was one more error on the board by Park than MidAmerica Nazarene though.

Three Pirates had multiple hits in game four, including three by Rivera, and his teammates Dye and Turner each had a pair of hits themselves.

Turner turned on a pitch for a solo home run in the top of the second, which was answered by an RBI single by the Pioneers in the next half.

Turner made his return to the dish and doing damage in the top of the third with a two-RBI double to left field. Bradford and Kenneth Melendez followed up with a sacrifice fly and a single up the middle to score the fourth run of the inning, respectively.

The 5-1 lead was swallowed up by a seven-run bottom of the third, allowing the Pioneers to lead 8-5. In all, seven runs scored on five hits.

It was a collaborative effort by Park's pitching staff, as five pitchers had time on the mound. Raul Garcia started with 2.2 innings pitched and struck out two Pioneers. Goldston was next up on the hill and allowed two earned runs on three hits. His teammates Brandt Lightner, Michael Hoffman, and Jesse Sholtz came in to clean up the rest and the final trio did not allow a run to score.

The top of the fourth was a great answer by the Pirates with a three-spot to tie the game at 8-8. Dye had a two-run blast to centerfield and then Yadiel Santana put a ball in play on the infield to score Blake Antle.

The Pioneers had a two-run home run of their own in the bottom of the fourth to go-ahead of Park, 10-8. The final runs came across in the inning and MidAmerica Nazarene held on for the series win.

A non-conference matchup with Columbia College on Tuesday, April 11 at 2pm will take place at Comfort Field for Park's next game. This will be a single, nine-inning game with the Cougars. Watch the live action here.