Box Score ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] Missouri Baptist baseball trailed by two after two innings on Tuesday, but put together a seven-run third inning on the way to a 14-2 win over Harris-Stowe (Mo.).
Missouri Baptist (23-2, 9-1 AMC) fell behind by a pair in the top of the second after a leadoff walk was issued to Austin Aguirre. The Hornet second basemen proceeded to steal second and put the first run in scoring position with no outs.
Zach Jones followed and drilled an RBI double to put the visiting Hornets up 1-0. A ground-out advanced Jones to third and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Tyler Schatz brought him in and put MBU in a two-run hole.
Missouri Baptist set-out to even the score in the third, but did much more once the dust had settled. The Spartans plated seven runs in the inning and took a commanding 7-2 lead after three.
Aaron Collazo doubled and put a runner on for Jeff Smith. The Spartan third baseman drove a 1-1 pitch that was low on the outside corner of the plate over the right field wall and tied the game with one swing of the bat.
Brent Zimmerman followed with a walk and ended-up at second on a passed ball. This put another runner in scoring position for Orlando Olivera.
The Spartan left fielder lined an RBI single up the middle and posted his first of three RBI on the day. On the whole, 11 batters came to the plate in the inning for Missouri Baptist.
The Spartans posted another crooked number in the fourth. Olivera posted the second home run for Missouri Baptist a line drive pulled to left field, and extended the lead to 9-2. Three more runs crossed the plate in the inning and made it a 12-2 advantage.
The Spartans tacked-on two more in the fifth and cruised to its 23rd win of the season.
Michael Yarborough picked-up his fifth win of the season as the senior allowed two runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Colby Duncan and Jake Triulzi provided three innings of scoreless relief as the Spartans got their ninth American Midwest Conference victory of the season.
GAME NOTES
Missouri Baptist is now 7-2 on the year when its opponent scores first… Orlando Olivera's home run in the fourth inning was his team-leading eighth of the season. He is now tied for No. 6 in the nation in that category. Jeff Smith raised his average to above .300 after today's three-hit, five RBI day… Today's game was the 11th of the season that Missouri Baptist has recorded double-digit run totals
