ST. LOUIS – [BOX GAME 1] [GAME 2 BOX] Missouri Baptist outslugged the Columbia Cougars under the lights Thursday night. The Spartans handed the Cougars their first conference loss with a 15-11 win in game one. MBU also took game two 5-3 in come-from-behind fashion.

MBU (20-9, 12-4 AMC) scored 15 times on 15 hits in the opener. The team's final seven were unanswered, responding to a Columbia four-run fourth inning that gave the home team an 11-8 lead.

The third walk of the fifth inning scored Austin Rieman and kept the bases loaded with one out. A throwing error helped Drew Kitson reach one batter later and get the Spartans within one, 11-10. With two outs, John Hagan delivered the biggest hit of the game. He gave MBU the lead with a two-RBI single to put the road team back on top 12-11.

The Spartans added a run in the sixth, two more in the seventh and wouldn't trail again. Rieman launched his second home run of the season in the sixth. Miles Fore added two huge insurance runs with a pinch-hit single that scored Rieman and Nate Green with two away in the seventh.

The top four in the MBU lineup combined to go 9-for-18 at the dish with six runs driven in. They helped ignite the offensive outburst, beginning in the first. Chad Ramsey, the Spartan cleanup hitter, singled home Culver Plant to start the scoring. John Hagan drew a walk to follow and Nate Green homered on an 0-1 count to bring them both home.

MBU extended its lead to 6-0 with two more runs in the second. Plant and Kitson each delivered RBI singles. Columbia (20-9, 10-2 AMC) answered with seven runs on six hits in the bottom half. They eventually led 7-6 and 11-8 after a four-run fourth.

The trio of Miguel Ruiz, Brandon Nunn and Nick Vichio combined to pitch a perfect final 3.1 innings to lead the Spartans to victory. Nunn recorded five strikeouts in two innings of work. Plant and Green each finished with a team-high three RBI. Ramsey led the way with three hits.

Game two provided less offense, but more drama. Columbia took a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning and held that same one-run margin entering the ninth. The Spartans refused to go down without a fight. Kyle Keck started the rally with a one-out double. Aaron Collazo followed suit with a double of his own to drive in Keck and tie the game at 3-3.

An intentional walk to Plant, followed by a costly balk, put runners on second and third for Kitson. The senior came through with a huge base hit to drive in both Collazo and Plant, the two eventual game-winning runs. Nick Vichio sealed the victory with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth. 

Collazo finished 3-for-5 at the plate in game two. Keck and Tommy Nawa also had multi-hit games. The game also featured Culver Plant's first home run of the year. The Spartans will go for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon. First pitch from Columbia is set for 11:00 am.