ST. LOUIS—[BOX GAME ONE] [BOX GAME TWO] Missouri Baptist Softball opened the 2018 season in Springfield, Mo. on Wednesday. The Spartans earned a split with Evangel University (4-5, 5-4).
The new-look Spartans struck first in game one in the top of the third inning. Ally Gischer doubled to left with one out and scored when Sarah Langdon followed suit with a double to left of her own.
Evangel tied the game in the bottom half of the third with a home run but MBU would retake the lead in the fifth. Gischer again doubled to left to lead off the inning. After Langdon walked and Jordan Corby executed a sac bunt, Meagan Elder brought the run across with a sacrifice fly. Baleigh Koester then pushed the lead to 3-1 with a double to center.
The Crusaders trimmed the lead back to one in the bottom half. It would stay 3-2 until the bottom of the seventh when EU tied the game on leadoff homer. That sent the game to extra innings.
The Spartans would take advantage of the placed runner at second. Amber Mobbs came around to score on Cami Meddows sac fly to center. For the third time, however, Evangel came from behind. This time the home side scored two in the bottom of the eighth to win the game 5-4.
Baleigh Koester got the start for the Spartans and gave seven solid innings, allowing six hits and three runs in a no-decision.
The Spartans came out in game two and again took another early lead. Cami Meddows came across on a wild pitch from the Crusaders' Abby Emmitt to make it 1-0.
It was tied at one in the fourth when the navy and white put together a rally that culminated in an Ally Gischer RBI single to plate two.
The lead was 3-2 going into the sixth but the Spartans were able to stretch it to 5-2 after a sac fly from Reily Kassay and an RBI Double from Sarah Langdon.
Delissa Dennison started on the mound for MBU and allowed just five hits in five innings. The sophomore also struck out three, holding the Crusaders in check most of the way. Dennison would run into some trouble in the sixth so Head Coach Craig Walston brought Baleigh Koester back in. Evangel would tack on two runs but Koester found a way out of the jam with the lead still intact at 5-4.
Darkness set in at that point and the game was called official after six innings.
The Spartans will be back in action next weekend with a trip to Jackson, Miss. They'll take on NCAA DIII opponents Millsaps College (Miss.) and Austin College (Texas).
