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Box Score 2 ST. LOUIS – [GAME 1 BOX] [GAME 2 BOX] To put it plainly, Missouri Baptist Baseball is on a roll. The Spartans completed its second-consecutive, American Midwest Conference, sweep on Saturday with 11-2 and 10-4 wins at Spartan Baseball Field over the Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) Trojans.
Missouri Baptist (20-6, 8-1 AMC) looked impressive in the final day of play against Hannibal-LaGrange as Jared Crescentini picked-up his fifth win of the season. The starting pitcher tossed six innings and allowed just two runs on three hits.
The Spartans posted the game-winning run in the first inning, thanks to an early three-run outburst. Tim Hergert continued his solid hitting in the leadoff role with a single to start the game. He later scored on a Brian Poupore RBI down the left field line to make it 1-0.
Angel Cruz made it a 3-0 game one batter later. The right fielder hit his first home run of the season on a shot over the left field wall, which ended as the game winning runs.
The Spartans tacked-on one in the second, one in the third, four in the fifth and two in the sixth to grab its 19th win of 2016. The game was a breakout one for left fielder Kyle Keck. The junior from Ottumwa, Iowa was hitting .250 heading into the game, but after a 3-3 day at the plate, his average now sits at .333.
Both Hergert and Cruz recorded multi-hit days and combined for five of the 10 RBI in the game for Missouri Baptist.
Patrick Boyle got the nod on the hill in game two and the lefty posted his second victory of the season. The junior from Farmersville, Ohio, went five solid innings and allowed zero runs on four hits, and struck-out five.
Missouri Baptist plated the first eight runs of the game, six of which came across in the third inning. Culver Plant was hit by the pitch to lead things off, which started a cavalcade of runs for the Spartans.
Cruz and Austin Rieman followed with singles as the wheels came off the bus for the Trojans, caused by Coach Eddie Uschold's constant motion on the base path. The Spartans swiped three bags in the bottom of the third as Missouri Baptist tore the game wide open.
Hergert tallied two more RBI in game two while four Spartans had two hits. Among those was Austyn Nagamine. The catcher entered the game in place of Hector Candeleria and went 2-2 on the day. Cruz and Brian Poupore both went 2-5 in the contest.
With the wins, the Spartans move into sole possession of first place in the AMC after Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) dropped its three-game set to the Park Pirates with two losses. Earlier in the year, the Spartans bested the Pirates two out of three.
The shift in the conference will likely spill over into the NAIA National Coaches' Top 25 Poll on Tuesday. As both Freed-Hardeman and Missouri Baptist now have a common opponent, look for the Spartans to make a jump in this week's poll.
Missouri Baptist will return to the friendly confines of Spartan Baseball Field on Tuesday when the team will welcome the Midland (Neb.) Warriors for a single, nine-inning affair. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
