ST. LOUIS –Missouri Baptist put together timely hitting and a big, four-run eighth inning to grab its second win over a ranked opponent in as many days as the Spartans defeated the No. 14-ranked Belhaven 13-8.

Missouri Baptist outlasted the No. 14-ranked Blazers on Friday as both offenses put together big numbers.

The Spartans took an early lead after Jeff Smith walked in the lead-off position. The Missouri Baptist third baseman then proceeded to steal second and advanced home on an RBI single by Orlando Olivera.

Belhaven quickly came back to take a 2-1 lead, but the Spartans countered in the fourth. Brent Zimmerman lined a two-run triple to right-center to put the visitors up 4-2.

The Blazers, however, put together an offensive charge in the bottom of the second. The team from Jackson, Miss., plated three runs in the inning to take a 5-4 lead and increased the advantage to 7-4 after three and a half.

The Spartans pulled to within one with one swing of the bat from Orlando Olivera. The left fielder crushed a home run over the left field fence in the top of the fifth to cut the MBU deficit to one.

Just two innings later and down by two, Missouri Baptist tied the game with some help from Belhaven pitching. Olivera and Roundtree reached on back-to-back walks and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly allowed Olivera to score and Roundtree followed on an RBI single by Brian Poupore to make it an 8-8 game.

Things got interesting in the MBU eighth. Catcher Austin Nagamine was hit on the hand and put a runner at first with no outs. Then, with one out and runners at first and second, the Spartans dug-in and broke the game wide open.

Brent Zimmerman singled-in the lead run to make it 9-8, and gained the lead back for Missouri Baptist. Olivera doubled-in two more, stole third, and crossed the plate on an Eli Roundtree sacrifice fly to make it 12-8.

The Blazers threatened with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, but it was Ballwin, Mo., native Jake Triulzi that came-up big. The junior lefty got out the jam with a strikeout and a groundout to preserve the lead for the Spartans.

While both teams' starting pitching struggled in the game, MBU's Randy Wynne came out of the bullpen and was excellent. The junior from San Diego held the Blazers to one earned run in five innings with six strikeouts.

Missouri Baptist will complete the weekend on Saturday in a rematch from the NAIA Opening Round in 2014 as the Spartans will face the Culver-Stockton Wildcats. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in Jackson, Miss.