A big first inning powered the PCM baseball team to a 5-4 win and a season split with Saydel Monday night, while the Mustangs softball team fell to the Class 3A #7 ranked Eagles 7-3.

After a scoreless top of the first in Prairie City, the PCM baseball team batted around in the bottom of the frame to plate all five of their runs in the contest. Gavin Fenton, Nick Farver, Easton Webb, and Jack Jungling all singled and scored in the inning, while Gabe Hobbs scored after reaching via an error. The Mustangs pitching took over from there, as Trenner Van Dyke struck out nine in six innings of work while allowing just three runs (one earned) and four hits to grab the win. Zeb Padgett came on in relief in the seventh inning and struck out two while allowing just one run to pick up the save. PCM avenged their early season loss at Saydel to improve to 8-6 overall and 7-2 in the Heart of Iowa Conference.

In Monroe, the Mustangs softball team fell behind early to the ranked Eagles and couldn’t make up the difference. Saydel scored five runs in the opening two frames, before adding a run in each of the third and fourth innings to claim a 7-0 lead. Paige Steenhoek got PCM on the board in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the deficit to 7-1 with a solo homer to right field. The Mustangs pulled within four in the sixth inning when Sidney Shaver scored on a passed ball and Paige singled in younger sister Addison Steenhoek, but it wasn’t enough to keep PCM from falling to 7-5 on the season and 6-3 in the conference.

The Mustangs summer sports teams are back in action tonight, with the softball team traveling to East Marshall for a 7 p.m. game and the baseball team competing at Lynnville-Sully at 7:30 p.m.