CAPE GIRARDEAU — The Raiders set season highs with 17 runs in a single game and 26 runs in a doubleheader. Three Rivers swept Crowley's Ridge on Monday, winning the opener 9-1 and the nightcap 17-1 in five innings at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau. Those 26 runs needed 16 total hits. The Raiders (12-15) were helped along by 21 total walks and nine errors by the Pioneers, leading to 12 unearned runs. Garyn Stewart scored six times for the Raiders. Batting leadoff in the opener, he was 0 for 3 with two runs after reaching base on an error and a walk. He hit second in the nightcap and reached base on every at bat, finishing 1 for 2 with four runs. The Three Rivers defense played its part, as well, committing only one error in the doubleheader behind a trio of pitchers in each win. "The last four games our defense has been a lot more consistent and that is encouraging to see. Hopefully we can continue that this weekend," Three Rivers coach Stacey Burkey said. River Hunt (2-4) pitched five innings in the opener for Three Rivers and allowed three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Garrett Payne and Fernando Burgos each pitched an inning of relief and got three strikeouts. Payne also allowed a hit. The Pioneers (8-24) got their lone run in the fifth inning after a leadoff walk, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch, and a groundout to the right side. By that time, the Raiders had already scored five runs. William Stallings doubled and scored on Reece Reading's single in the first inning and Stewart added an unearned run in the third. Three Rivers, playing as the home team after moving the game to Cape Girardeau's turf field because of poor conditions at both schools, then scored three runs in the fourth and two more in both the fifth and sixth innings. The Pioneers took the lead in the nightcap after Garrett Williams led off the game with a walk and scored on a two-out single to right field. Stewart walked and scored to tie the game on a sacrifice fly by Reading. The Raiders then piled on nine runs in the second inning after bringing 14 batters to the plate. They actually started the second inning with a groundout, but the next nine batters reached and scored in what became a merry go round along the base paths. Cameron Johnson and Ryan Hunter had two-run singles, but Three Rivers got their other five runs one at a time. Matt Robbins had a three-run triple to right field as part of a five-run fifth inning. He earned a fourth RBI with a single in the fifth and was 2 for 3 with two runs and four RBIs in the game to go 5 for 7 with three runs and six RBIs in the doubleheader. Shelby Quiggins (2-3) pitched three innings in the win and allowed two hits and two walks with one strikeout. "Three inning win, those don't come around too much," Burkey said. "Didn't want to stretch him out too much after (the nine-run second inning)." TyReik Thomas and Drew Evans each pitched an inning in relief. Neither allowed a hit. Thomas, in his first appearance of the season, gave up two walks with no strikeouts while Evans had one walk and one strikeout. "His velocity looked good and threw a couple breaking pitches for strikes," Burkey said of Thomas, who is currently the only lefty in the bullpen with Lane Crowley being injured. "The situation may come in the next month or so that we need him on the mound, so it was good to get him out there." With the sweep, the Raiders have won four in a row, matching their longest win streak of the season.  The doubleheader also marked the end of an extended road schedule that was often changed and interrupted because of weather. Three Rivers has played nine consecutive away games, going 4-5 in them, and will host Crowder on Saturday in what will be the Raiders' first home game since March 18. It is also the first of 12 consecutive games at Roger Pattillo Field. Three Rivers has played just seven of their 27 games at home and are 3-4.

Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic