ST. LOUIS – [GAME 1 BOX] [GAME 2 BOX] After an un-nerving loss in game one on Saturday to Park (Mo.) by a 5-3 score, Missouri Baptist Baseball rallied. The Spartans collected 16 runs on 18 hits in game two to earn the series victory with a 16-4 win.

Missouri Baptist (12-6, 2-1 AMC) did not play its best baseball in game one on Saturday, and the Pirates, behind ace J.D. Williams, put together a solid effort to grab the win.

Williams went the distance for the Pirates and allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts on the day. The senior from Liberty, Mo., collected his fourth win of the year and second against the Spartans in as many starts, dating back to the 2015 season.

The Pirates got on the board first in the third inning, and the middle of the order did some damage. Shane Boyer drove-in the first run on an RBI double, and cleanup hitter Shayne Kirkwood followed with an RBI single to make it a 2-0 game.

Missouri Baptist cut that lead to 2-1 in the fourth. After Angel Cruz reached on a fielder's choice, Austin Rieman doubled to right-center field to put Cruz at third with one away. John Hagan stepped to the plate next and delivered a sacrifice fly to put the first Spartan run on the board.

Though the Pirates extended their lead to 3-1 in the fifth, the Spartans came back to tie it in the bottom of the sixth.

Rieman cashed-in on an RBI single, sending Daniel Bradley home, and made it a 3-2 game. Then, similar to the fourth, Hagan came through yet again. The junior lifted a ball to right field on the sacrifice fly, which scored Cruz, and just like that the game was knotted-up at three apiece.

Just when the tide looked to be changing, the Pirates took control back in the top of the seventh. After Jake Triulzi recorded strikeouts on the first two batters he faced, he walked the shortstop, Tim Schaareman, which put the lead run on first. What happened next deflated the crowd of over 100. Park recorded back-to-back-to-back infield hits and recorded two runs in the process to make it a 5-3 game.

The Spartans had the chance to counter one final time in the bottom of the inning, but it was not to be.

Second baseman Josh Miguel led-off and seemingly beat-out a slow roller down the first base line, but was called out due to runners interference on the play. The next two batters, Tim Hergert and Culver Plant, flied out and grounded out respectively and the game ended abruptly with a Park victory.

Game two was an entirely different story as Jared Crescentini took the hill. The junior looked sharp in his outing and tossed five and one-thirds of an inning. During that span, he allowed four runs, but none were earned as both teams combined for eight errors in the game.

Down 1-0, Missouri Baptist posted a four-spot in the bottom of the second and made it a 4-1 game.

The hole got deeper for the Pirates and starter Jake Van Vacter. The lefty hurler was pulled after allowing three runs in the third inning, and Missouri Baptist was off to the races.

The Spartans scored five more in the fourth, two in the fifth and two in the sixth to earn its second win in the American Midwest Conference this season. Reigning AMC Player of the Week Tim Hergert led the charge with a three-hit ball game. He recorded two singles and a double on the way to a three-RBI game.

Brian Poupore also had another solid game at the plate. The senior finished 3-4 with one RBI, while Hagan had a two-hit game with two runs scored. Josh Miguel finished 2-2 with two runs scored and two RBI.

The story from game two was not only the score, but how it got that way. The Spartans were active on the base path yet again, and it caused chaos for the Pirates. Park recorded five errors in the game as the Spartans posted 11 stolen bases as a team.

The Spartans will now head-out for a double-dip against Morthland College (Ill.) on Monday before a road trip next weekend to William Woods (Mo.) next weekend.