ST. LOUIS – [GAME 1 BOX] [GAME 2 BOX] Missouri Baptist got stellar pitching from starter Brandon Zywicki and a big hit from Josh Fuentes, both of which powered the team to 1-0 and 5-4 wins over AIB College of Business on Monday.
Missouri Baptist (13-3) extended its winning streak to 13 games with the two wins over the Eagles, thanks to performances from both Zywicki and Fuentes.
In game one, it was all Zywicki. The junior tossed four and a third innings of no-hit baseball on his way to a complete-game two-hitter. While only striking-out three batters, the righty got 10 ground ball outs in the victory.
The game remained scoreless until the Spartan-half of the fourth inning. With two outs, Enrique Pagan remained patient at the plate and grabbed a free pass. During the next at-bat, AIB pitcher Steven Leverett was called for a balk, which put Pagan at second with Joe Stropp at the plate. The MBU catcher delivered with an RBI single to score Pagan. This proved to be the winning run in the game.
In game two, the Eagles' and the Spartan's offense came to play. AIB struck first blood in the second inning, but Missouri Baptist countered in the bottom half. MBU posted one run in the second, third and fourth innings before plating two in the fifth to earn its 13th win of the season.
Trae Johnson went the distance for AIB and kept the high-powered Spartan offense at bay for the majority of the afternoon, but Missouri Baptist continued to chip away.
Enrique Pagan singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Larry Schimsa to tie the game in the second inning. MBU then took a lead in the third on an RBI single by Dan Harper.
After three innings, Missouri Baptist held a one-run lead, but the Eagles were not done. Leverett, playing second base in game two, walked to lead-off the inning. Consecutive bunt singles by Steven Murtha and Jon Munson loaded the bases with no outs.
Eagles' shortstop Bryce Schmitt grounded-out to third base for the second out, which scored Leverett, and tied the game at two. Center fielder Zach Close followed that up with an RBI single of his own and gave AIB its second lead of the game.
Missouri Baptist tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Larry Schimsa and set-up some heroics by shortstop Josh Fuentes in the bottom of the fifth.
With one on and one out, Fuentes showed why his bat is equally as effective as his glove. The Spartan shortstop sent a ball over the left field wall on an 0-1 count to give his team the lead for good.
Carl Jameson came into the game to relieve Yarborough in the top of the sixth and was unhittable. Jameson recorded three strikeouts in the inning to put his team in prime position to take the final game of the day.
Michael Murano finished the game by giving-up one run on one hit and shut the door in the end to get his fourth save of the season.
Missouri Baptist will now take its 13-game win streak on the road to Central Methodist University on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in the doubleheader as Curtis Sawchuck and Chris Romano will be the scheduled starters.
GAME NOTES
Josh Fuentes extended his hit streak to a season-high 12 games on Monday… Both Michael Yarborough and Brandon Zywicki improved to 4-0 on the year… Missouri Baptist extended its winning streak to 13 games… MBU has not lost since Feb. 8 against Cumberland in a 5-4 loss in the Faulkner University Invitational... AIB is in its first season of baseball in the school's 94-year history
