ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] Missouri Baptist posted 19 runs on 19 hits on Friday in a dominant 19-3 performance over University of Saint Francis.
Missouri Baptist (3-3) posted eight runs in the first inning and set the tone of the remainder of the game. The team batted around once through the lineup and recorded six hits in the opening frame, including a Jeff Smith homerun. This was the first of two round-trippers for the Spartan second baseman on the day.
Though MBU was shut-out in the second, the team again broke out in the third inning. Smith homered for the second time, a two-run shot that scored Eli Roundtree, to make it a 10-0 lead. 13 batters came to the plate in the third on the way to a six-hit, seven-run inning.
Missouri Baptist tacked-on two more runs in the fourth and in the sixth before the game was called by run rule after seven innings.
Smith finished the day 3-4 with two runs scored and five RBI. Larry Schimsa was also fantastic at the plate. The junior transfer from St. Louis Community College went deep in the third inning and went 3-6 with a double and six RBI.
Vinnie Fresquez and Enrique Pagan both recorded two RBI in the game and were the only others that posted multi-RBI totals. In fact, eight of the nine Spartan starters recorded a hit in Friday's contest.
MBU used three pitchers on the day, beginning with five innings from Michael Yarborough. The junior recorded three strikeouts and one walk in his outing. Jacob Eichhorn relieved Yarborough in the sixth while Ryan McClaren finished the game in the seventh with two strikeouts and a ground-out.
Missouri Baptist is now riding a three-game win streak and will be looking for the fourth in a row on Saturday when the team will face-off against Belhaven University. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.
GAME NOTES
This was the first time since May 7, 2010 that MBU outscored an opponent by 16 runs. The last time was against McKendree University in the first game of the AMC Championship Tournament… Jeff Smith now leads the team with three homeruns on the year… Missouri Baptist has now scored 32 runs in the last two games (16 innings)… The Spartans are 3-0 when allowing three runs or less.
