ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] After a thrilling game into the wee hours of the morning, Missouri Baptist Baseball came short of nabbing a series sweep against Columbia (Mo.) in the final game of the series. The Spartans allowed 19 hits to the Cougars and dropped the game 10-4 in Columbia, Mo.

Missouri Baptist (20-10, 12-5 AMC) had already claimed the series win with a sweep of Columbia on Thursday, but a hot-hitting home team came out on top and salvaged its first series loss in American Midwest Conference play.

The Spartan bats looked good from the outset after a three-run second inning, but quieted as the game unfolded. John Hagan led-off the second with a single and came around to score on a Kyle Keck RBI single to make it 1-0. Aaron Collazo singled home Nate Green in the next at-bat before a throwing error allowed Keck to cross the plate and made it a 3-0 Missouri Baptist lead.

The Spartans extended that lead to 4-0 thanks to a Chad Ramsey solo home run to right field in the third. This, however, was the extent of the run output Missouri Baptist was able to put together.

"We started off well… especially offensively," said Eddie Uschold, Missouri Baptist Head Coach. "(We) could not get that one big hit to get the starter out of the game. He settled-in and we did not do much the rest of the game."

The Cougars answered with two run innings in the third, fourth and sixth innings to put the game away for good, before tacking four more on in the seventh and eighth innings combined.

Donnie Lovelady was tagged for the loss in the game as his record dropped to 4-3. Cody Ebert snagged the win for the Cougars and improved to a perfect 6-0 on the season. The junior went the distance and recorded nine strikeouts in the outing.

Blade McKee, Andrew Warner and Jordan Wright all recorded a three-hit day and led the Cougars offensively.

"Columbia is an outstanding team," mentioned Uschold. "They are well coached and just out-executed us today."

Six Spartans were responsible for the team's six hits on the day.

Missouri Baptist will head back to St. Louis before leaving for its second-consecutive AMC road series next weekend as the team will travel to Henderson, Tenn., to take on the Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) Lions.