COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Missouri Baptist softball picked up one win and one loss as they traveled to battle American Midwest Conference rival the Columbia Cougars. The Spartans won game one 6-3 and lost game two 13-1. MBU moves to 19-13 on the season and 8-8 in the AMC. 

The Cougars jumped out to the early lead by scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning, but MBU would answer right back in the top of the second. The Spartans Payton Anderson hit a two-run home run to tie the game.

In the bottom of the sixth the Cougars strung a few hits together and scored one run to take a late lead, but the Spartans were not going down without a fight. In the top of the seventh and final inning, Megan Wildhaber stepped up with a runner on with a runner on second and hit a double to left field to score Toni Stang and tie the game at three. The Spartans added two more runs on a hit by Danielle Bayer and then added one more run on a hit by Jenna Bentlage. MBU shut down the Cougars in the bottom of the inning to win the game 6-3.

The second game was all Columbia right from the start. The Cougars scored two runs in the first and one run in the second to put MBU in a hole early. Jamie Holmes hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning to give the Cougars a 4-0 lead over MBU.

The fifth inning was the worst inning of the day for the Spartans. The Cougars scored nine runs on five hits and three MBU errors. Three of the runs in the inning came off the bat of pinch hitter Brittany Tjarks who hit a three-run home run. MBU would add one run in the bottom of the inning to make the final score 13-1 for the Cougars.

Wildhaber was the only Spartan in game two to record two hits in the game. The senior went 2-3 with one stolen base in the game.

The Spartans look to pick up two wins on Monday at MBU as they host the Stephens College Stars and the Harris-Stowe Hornets. The first game of the tripleheader is set for noon at MBU.