PARK HILLS, Mo. — After being swept by Mineral Area on Saturday, Three Rivers finished the regular season as the eighth seed and will face sixth-ranked Crowder in the first round of the Region XVI tournament. The Raiders lost the opener 5-0 and the nightcap 2-1. They are 0-4 against Crowder this season and scored one run in three of the four games. In the third game of the series, Three Rivers (20-25, 8-20 Region XVI) led 6-5, entering the seventh inning, but ultimately lost 7-6.

In Saturday's opener against Mineral Area, Mason Morgan (2-3) got the start and allowed three hits and three walks with three strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. Lachlan Waite finished the game and allowed five hits and a walk with no strikeouts. Mineral Area (29-11, 17- 11) got a complete game from Pierce Hartman (5-0), who gave up five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. Three Rivers stranded five runners on base, including Kolten Poorman and Kyle Clayton twice. Dee Triplett, who won a state championship at Malden, was 1 for 3 with an RBI for Mineral Area.

The nightcap was tied at one after two innings and stayed that way until the Cardinals scored in the seventh. The Raiders committed two errors in the game and had six hits. Andrew Lara and Cade Cancilla each had two hits, while Lane Baremore and Nathan Browning were stranded twice. Briar Fischer (1-5) took the loss in relief. He entered in the seventh and gave up the go-ahead run on two hits. Sean Pruneau started and allowed three hits and a walk with three strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. Michael White relieved him and got through the sixth with only one walk allowed. He also had four strikeouts. Austin Brock finished the game and had one strikeout and one hit against. Aaron Evers (4-1) pitched seven innings in the win and allowed six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.

Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic