CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Raiders fell a spot in the Region XVI standings after losing a pair of close games.
Three Rivers was swept by MCC-Maple Woods on Saturday, losing the opener 4-2 and the nightcap 10-6. In the process, the Monarchs overtook Three Rivers in the region standings.
"Two close games. Just two tough losses that could have gone either way," Three Rivers coach Stacey Burkey said.
The Raiders were a hit away from tying the opener in the bottom of the seventh
With runners on second and third and two outs, Maple Woods' Dante Nelson got his fifth strikeout for the complete-game win.
Garyn Stewart and Parker Dent, who was pinch running, scored Three Rivers' two runs in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
The bats were quiet to start. Nelson retired the side in each of the first three innings, with three strikeouts along the way.
Three Rivers (15-19, 5-16) then stranded two in both the fourth and fifth innings, including a runner in scoring position in each.
Quentin Bowling (2-5) pitched 4 2/3 innings in the loss and allowed nine hits, a walk and a hit batter with four strikeouts.
He scattered the hits and the Monarchs stranded 10 runners in the game. Three of the four runs were scored with two outs.
In the nightcap, Drew Evans, Ryan Hunter and Grant Miller all hit home runs for the Raiders, counting for five of the team's six runs.
Miller had a two-run homer in the second and Hunter did the same in the seventh.
Evans' home run led off the bottom of the first inning for the Raiders, who had 10 hits in the game.
Maple Woods (8-29, 6-12) led 4-3 going into the fifth inning, but then scored four runs, two of them earned.
"Maple Woods is going to swing it pretty good. They had some two-out hits, some key two-out runs that we need to prevent, for sure," Burkey said.
Beau Burson (1-2) pitched three innings in the loss for the Raiders. He allowed five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Seven different Raiders took the mound in the doubleheader compared to three pitchers for Maple Woods.
Three Rivers catcher Reece Reading suffered a concussion in the nightcap.
On a play at the plate, Reading slid and during the tag, Burkey said his head bounced off the catcher's knee. Reading stayed in the game, but started to show symptoms about an hour later and was taken to a hospital.
"Just has to stay calm, get some rest and take it easy for a few days now," Burkey said. "He's out at least two weeks."