ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE G1] [BOX SCORE G2] Missouri Baptist baseball scored early and shut the door late in game one of a doubleheader versus Central Methodist University on Tuesday. The Spartans posted two runs in the seventh and kept the Eagles off the scoreboard in the ninth to secure the first of two wins on the day, 9-8 and 6-3.
Missouri Baptist (15-3) extended its winning streak to 15 games on Tuesday, and needed its strong bullpen to close the door late in game one. Carl Jameson did just that, but it didn't come easy.
MBU jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead after one inning and continued to put-up big numbers. The Spartans posted one in the second, three in the third and two in the seventh, but had to rely on its bullpen in order to edge the Eagles.
The Spartans led by just one run heading into the seventh inning and the Eagles came just short of tying, if not winning, the first game. Carl Jameson, however, got the ground ball he needed in the end.
Jameson, in his second inning of work for Missouri Baptist, allowed leadoff hitter Eli Bowers to single to begin the seventh. Jameson struck-out Kyle Poynter to make it one on and one out. Just as things seemed to be looking-up, however, trouble reared its head. After allowing a single to Alfredo Souffront, Jameson lost control of a pitch to Nick Galenti, which allowed the runners to advance to second and third with just one out.
Coach Eddie Uschold then made the decision that set-up the win. In order to give the Spartans the chance to end a game with a double play, Jameson intentionally walked Galenti to put a runner on first.
The move to walk Galenti became pivotal as the double play was back in order with Mike Wagner stepping to the plate for the Eagles. Wagner worked the count full until he sent a ground ball to second. Jeff Smith turned the 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and close the book on the Central Methodist comeback bid.
The power bats came to play in game one for Missouri Baptist. Erik Garcia led the charge and went 3-3 with one RBI and a homerun. Jeff Smith also hit his team-leading fifth round-tripper of the season while Enrique Pagan hit his second of the year. Pagan finished the game with two RBI and went 2-3 with two runs scored.
In the second game of the day, Missouri Baptist had a bit more breathing room, though the Eagles posted the game's first run. Chris Romano got his first start of his Spartan career and allowed two hits, one of which scored, in his first inning of work. Romano allowed two runs in his abbreviated start, but was effective nonetheless. The senior recorded one strikeout, one walk and his first win in just two and a third innings pitched.
Down by one, Missouri Baptist went to work in the second. The team posted two runs, all set-up from a leadoff double by Erik Garcia. The Spartan catcher advanced to third on a balk and later scored as Brent Zimmerman grounded-out to the pitcher. Ryan Clarke also scored later in the inning as MBU took a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the second.
MBU went on to score two more in the third, and added two insurance runs in the seventh as the team grabbed its 15th win of the year.
The Spartan bullpen was effective yet again in the Tuesday finale. Chris Cordova, Chris Kenney and Michael Murano pitched a combined four and two-thirds innings and allowed just one earned run on two hits (all charged to Cordova). Cordova also struck-out three in his nearly three innings of work while Murano collected his fifth save of the season. That now ties him for third in the NAIA in that category.
Missouri Baptist will get a well-deserved, two-day break, before heading back home on Friday to open American Midwest Conference play against Williams Baptist. Game time is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Friday in a single, nine-inning contest.
GAME NOTES
Missouri Baptist has now won 15-consecutive games… Missouri Baptist's longest winning streak in 2013 was 18 games… Josh Fuentes continued his season-high 14-game hit streak. The next longest current streak is three games by Dan Harper… Jeff Smith is now tied for eighth in the NAIA in homeruns with five… Both Enrique Pagan and Orlando Olivera hit their second homeruns of the season on Tuesday. The outfielders are the only two that have recorded multiple homeruns so far in 2014 outside of Smith… Missouri Baptist hit .375 as a team in two games on Tuesday. For the week, the team is hitting .339
