The M&M Boys were mm-mmm good for the Xavier Saints Tuesday night.

First McNeal, then Mehring.

Ean McNeal tossed a one-hit shutout as the No.9 Saints blanked Cedar Falls, 3-0, in the first game of a Mississippi Valley Conference twinbill at Ken Charipar Field.

Dane Mehring got the ball in the nightcap and pitched a three-hit shutout as the Saints belted the Tigers, 9-0, to complete a masterful doubleheader.

The M&M Boys mowed 'em down.

"Coach Schemmel told us this was the first back-to-back shutouts in a doubleheader in a really long time," Mehring said proudly after he completed the twin-killing.

It might have been the first double-shutout in school history.

"I don't remember the last time it's happened," Coach Dave Schemmel remarked. "I don't know if it's ever happened while I've coached at Xavier. Usually we give up a run here or there, so this was a pretty good night."

McNeal was touched for a clean infield single in the second inning of the opener, but that was it. The Tigers didn't come close to getting another hit the entire game.

In fact, McNeal didn't need his outfielders for most of the game. The ball never left the infield until the Tigers' leadoff batter in the seventh inning flied out to right field. McNeal then finished the game with a ground ball and his sixth strikeout.

McNeal (7-1) used his curveball to keep the Tigers off-balance.

"I changed the grip before the game and it definitely worked," he said. "It broke a little bit more than usual."

Mack Mattke went 2-for-2 and drove in two runs for Xavier in the opener. Nate Even also collected two hits and Colby Brecht had an RBI single.

Mehring (5-1) nearly matched McNeal in the nightcap. He allowed a two-out single in the first inning, a one-out single in the fourth and a two-out single in the fifth. He walked two batters and was in control from start to finish.

The 11 strikeouts were a season high. "It's not like I'm an overpowering pitcher," he said. "I pitch to contact. It's nice to get some strikeouts here and there."

Corbin Woods went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the nightcap, Alex Ries was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Mehring helped his own cause with a two-run double.

Schemmel enjoyed the superb pitching, timely hitting and tight defense. Blake Helms returned to shortstop after missing three games with a sore shoulder and anchored the defense.

"It's a big difference," Schemmel said. "It gets everybody else settled down when he's in there."

The Saints raised their records to 23-8 overall and 17-7 in the conference. They host Marion Wednesday night at 7.

Cedar Falls fell to 14-17 overall and 13-11 in the MVC.

Game 1

CEDAR FALLS (0)
Gallu, cf, 3 0 0 0, Hagarty, ss, 2 0 0 0, Klinehart, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Zwanziger, rf, 3 0 0 0, Daniels, 2b, 3 0 1 0, Benton, dh, 2 0 0 0, Kloos, p, 0 0 0 0, Kuntz, lf, 1 0 0 0, Creger, 3b, 2 0 0 0, Sole, c, 2 0 0 0. Totals 21 0 1 0.

XAVIER (3)
Helms, ss, 3 0 0 0, Woods, 3b, 2 0 0 0, Even, 2b, 3 1 2 0, Mattke, 1b, 2 0 2 2, Ries, cf, 3 0 0 0, Mehring, lf, 2 1 1 0, McNeal, p, 3 0 0 0, Zenisek, rf, 2 0 1 0, Hosch, rf, 0 0 0 0, Brecht, c, 1 0 1 1, Brown, cr, 0 1 0 0. Totals 21 3 7 3.

Cedar Falls   000 000 0 - 0 1 1
Xavier         101 001 x - 3 7 0

Kloos and Sole. McNeal and Brecht. W - McNeal. L - Kloos. 2B - Even, Mehring. SB - Hagarty.

Game 2

CEDAR FALLS (0)
Gallu, cf, 3 0 0 0, Hagarty, ss, 2 0 0 0, Klinehart, 1b, 3 0 2 0, Doyle, lf/p, 3 0 0 0, Daniels, 2b, 3 0 0 0, Zwanziger, rf/3b, 3 0 0 0, Benton, dh, 3 0 0 0, Seehase, p/rf/lf, 0 0 0 0, Creger, 3b/p, 3 0 1 0, Sole, c, 2 0 0 0, Kuntz, cr, 0 0 0 0. Totals 25 0 3 0.

XAVIER (9)
Helms, ss, 0 1 0 0, Woods, 3b, 3 2 2 2, Even, 2b, 3 0 0 0, Mattke, 1b, 4 1 1 1, Ries, cf, 4 1 2 2, Mehring, p, 2 0 1 2, Sodawasser, cr, 0 1 0 0, McNeal, lf, 3 1 0 0, Zenisek, rf, 2 0 1 1, Hosch, ph/rf, 0 1 0 0, Brecht, c, 2 0 1 1, Brown, cr, 0 1 0 0. Totals 23 9 8 9.

Cedar Falls   000 000 0 - 0 3 1
Xavier        200 205 x - 9 8 1

Seehase, Creger (5), Doyle (6) and Sole. Mehring and Brecht. W - Mehring. L - Seehase. 2B - Mehring. SB - McNeal.