This is still the “spring training” phase of the season for Mount Vernon baseball, according to coach Charles Chatman.

“We need to get healthy and stay healthy,” Chatman said. “We are still working through some details.”

On Monday, June 2, Mount Vernon beat Grinnell 8-0 and 9-4 at Ash Park.

In the opener, AJ McDermott gave up four hits and struck out six on the mound. Garet Swartzendruber pitched the final four out, with three strikeouts.

Kellen Haverback hit 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Colin Bentley hit 3-for-3. Erik Lamb had two hits.

In the second game, Cael Foreman and Swartzendruber combined on the mound. Michael Ryan hit 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Lamb and Haverback each had three RBIs.

A game at Cascade on Tuesday, June 3, was rained out, and moved to June 28.

On Thursday, June 5, Mount Vernon had a pair of tough losses to Independence at Ash Park, 8-7 and 9-7.

Indee scored four in the top of the seventh in the opener. Bentley, Ryan and Porter Chatman each had two hits.

In the second game, Independence broke a tie game with two runs in the top of the seventh. Bentley and Ryan each had two hits.

Independence was aided by eight free passes.

That was a theme in a 12-2 loss to Underwood on Friday, June 6, at Iowa Western Community College. This time the Mustangs gave up 13 walks.

“Things aren’t in a good place for us,” Chatman said. “Walks, errors, strikeouts, missed execution. We are trying to figure it all out in real time.”