Renegades split doubleheader, lose series against A’s

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Renegades are still searching for a rhythm to begin the young 2025 MINK baseball season.

Jefferson City (3-4) suffered a series loss to Clarinda (3-2), falling in the first game of Sunday's doubleheader 12-4 before salvaging the three-game set with a 2-1 win in the nightcap.

At the conclusion of this series, the Renegades have lost three of their last four contests, giving up nearly 10 runs per game during that span.

Clarinda constructed a 7-0 lead in the first five frames of Sunday's opener before a bases loaded walk to Jefferson City's Conner Flieg and a pair of RBI singles from Drew Vonder Haar and Alex Digiacinto dented the deficit to four runs in the sixth inning. However, the A's answered with a five-run rally to retake control in the seventh inning, highlighted by a three-RBI double from Jake Espeland and a two-run home run from Tayvon Homolar.

The A's assembled another advantage in the second game of Sunday's twin bill with an effective first-and-third steal from Cole Baumgart, but Jacob Hoernschemeyer delivered a two-RBI triple to give Jefferson City its first lead of the series in the fifth inning. Jackson Forck protected that lead with three dominant no-hit innings out of the bullpen, which included three strikeouts.

Vonder Harr led the Renegades with three combined hits across both games of the doubleheader while Digiacinto and Lucas Wietholder each tallied multi-hit efforts in the first contest of the evening.

Mizzou Baseball's Tyler Macon also finished 1-for-8 with two runs scored during Sunday's action for Clarinda.

Up next - The Renegades resume their current stretch of nine straight days of games with a showdown against the Carroll Merchants on Monday, June 9 at 8 p.m. in Jefferson City.