MINNEAPOLIS – [BOX SCORE] Missouri Baptist Baseball simply ran out of gas. After a grueling season and a schedule filled with incredible wins and highlight reel plays, the Spartans allowed 14 runs on 17 hits to Sterling (Kan.) in a 14-4 defeat in the Championship Game of the 2016 NAIA National Championship Opening Round Jamestown Bracket.

Missouri Baptist (45-15) trailed from start to finish as the high octane Sterling offense rode a wave of hits and momentum to return to the Avista-NAIA World Series for the first time since 2013.

Jose Rendon held the Spartans relatively quiet on the offensive end with a couple of exceptions. Those mistakes that he threw, however, the Spartans crushed over the right field wall each and every time.

Down by five in the bottom of the fourth, Missouri Baptist began to tee-off on the Sterling hurler. Missouri Baptist hit four home runs in the game, all four of the solo variety, and the first two happened in the fourth.

With one out, Brian Poupore crushed a no-doubter over the short porch in right field to put his team on the board, 5-1. Angel Cruz followed with his first of the day, first of the Opening Round and third of the season, this one to right center, and put the Spartans within three.

Missouri Baptist got to Rendon again in the sixth, but after back-to-back four spots in the top of the fifth and sixth, the Warriors had secured a 13-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Angel Cruz hit his second of the day, again to right center, and recorded the third run of the game for Missouri Baptist. For the second time in the game, the Spartans went back-to-back as Mike Levar crushed his second home run of the Opening Round, and made it a 13-4 game.

Sterling tacked-on another run in the eighth as they punched the final ticket to the Avista-NAIA World Series in 2016.

Angel Cruz and Mike Levar led the Spartans in the 2016 Opening Round. Cruz finished with a .500 batting average and an .864 slugging percentage with two home runs. Levar hit .474 with a .789 slugging percentage.

At the conclusion of the day, host institution Jamestown announced the All-Tournament Team and Missouri Baptist was well represented. Levar was joined by Culver Plant and Tim Hergert as far as position players were concerned. At pitcher, Donnie Lovelady and Austin Sweet were both honored for their contributions.

The loss ended the Spartan season,, but the future is bright for the 2017 squad with a majority of starters and key players returning.