Stay in the Gasconade Valley Conference (GVC) baseball title hunt.

That was the goal last Wednesday for Cory Nicholson’s Vienna Eagles when they welcomed Cuba’s Wildcats to Maries County for senior-night baseball at Vienna City Park.

As it turned out, the Cuba game was part of a senior-night doubleheader with the Wildcats and Missouri Military Academy (MMA) Colonels out of Mexico, Mo.

Grabbing an early 1-0 lead after one inning, Vienna was held scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning when they tacked on a pair of insurance runs helping them hold off a very game Cuba Wildcat squad by a final score of 3-0.

With the win, Vienna improved to 2-0 in GVC play.

Eli Hayes led the bottom of the first inning off reaching on an error before advancing to second and third base on a pair of passed balls.

Following a Colin John walk, Landon Kloeppel put the ball in play with one out to the tune of a RBI ground out scoring Hayes to give the Eagles an early 1-0 lead.

With senior Bayrd Vanscoy on the mound, he turned into a strikeout machine after the first inning.

That is because he struck out the side in the top of the second and third innings keeping Cuba off the scoreboard.

Adding two more strikeouts in the top of the fourth inning, Vanscoy reached the midway point of the game with nine Ks.

Pitching around a leadoff double in the top of the fifth, Vanscoy gave his Eagle offense to add their slim 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the fifth inning.

Duncan Wilkinson led off the bottom of the fifth reaching on an error before advancing to second base on a passed ball.

Hayes reached base for the third time in the game on a single setting the table for John.

Adding to his walk in the bottom of the first, John laced a two-RBI single to left field scoring Wilkinson and Hayes giving the black and gold some much-needed insurance runs.

Pitching around a leadoff double in the top of the seventh, Vanscoy was able to finish off his complete-game shutout allowing just two hits with no walks and 13 strikeouts.

After recognizing seniors Lucas Magner, Spencer Magner, Vanscoy and John, the Eagles took on MMA’s Colonels in game two of their senior-night doubleheader.

Unlike the previous game against Cuba, Vienna played from behind the majority of the game against the Colonels.

Tied at 4-4 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Landon Kloeppel led things off being hit by a pitch before stealing second and third base.

Lucas Magner then drew a walk after which Kloeppel scored on one of MMA’s four errors giving the Eagles a walk-off win by a final score of 5-4.

Trailing 1-0 after one inning, Vienna answered in the bottom of the second when Lucas Magner reached on an error to lead off the frame before scoring on a Will Veasman RBI single tying the game at 1-1 after two innings.

MMA’s Colonels turned two Eagle errors and two hits into three runs and a 4-1 lead entering the bottom of the third inning.

Beginning to chip away in the bottom of the third, Vanscoy singled before scoring on a Spencer Magner bases-loaded walk cutting the Colonel lead to 4-2 after three innings.

With Wilkinson able to hold MMA scoreless, Vienna was able to keep chipping away in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Hayes led it off with a single before later scoring on a wild pitch trimming the MMA lead to 4-3 after four innings.

Another scoreless frame from Wilkinson in the top of the fifth gave the Vienna offense a chance to perhaps tie or take the lead in the bottom half of the fifth inning.

Lucas Magner led it off with a single before consecutive ground outs moved him to second and third base respectively.

Veasman then delivered a clutch two-out RBI single scoring Magner to tie the game at 4-4 after five innings.

Following a scoreless sixth inning, Vienna was able to end the game with Kloeppel scoring the game-winning run on MMA’s fourth error of the game.

After Vanscoy retired one batter to start the game, Wilkinson took over in relief after Vanscoy reached his pitch limit for the day.

Allowing three runs (none earned) on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts, Wilkinson picked up the win to complete the senior-night doubleheader sweep.

Falling 4-3 Saturday in a rescheduled game at Steelville in spite of two RBIs from Kloeppel, Vienna is scheduled to return to action Friday (weather and field conditions permitting) in a Highway 42 showdown at Vienna City Park against Iberia’s Rangers with a scheduled 5 p.m., first pitch.

VHS will then end their regular season with a pair of road games at Belle on Monday and in Dixon on Tuesday both at 5 p.m.