ST. LOUIS – [BOX SCORE] The Spartans took the rubber match in Parkville, Missouri, 8-0 behind stellar pitching and a six run seventh inning.
 
Starting pitcher Alex Hanft was called upon to tame the Pirate bats in the rubber match of the series. The junior from Barnhart, Missouri, shut the Pirates down early, setting them down in order the first time through the lineup.
 
Spartan sluggers were held silent in the first two innings but found life in the third. General McArthur and Drew Brooks each had RBI singles in the frame to put Missouri Baptist up 2-0 after three.
 
Those two runs would be all that Hanft needed midway through the game. He held the Pirates hitless through six.
 
MBU clung to their two-run lead until the top of the seventh. McArthur started the scoring with an RBI single to right field that plated Gabriel Castillo. Domonique Hernandez clubbed a three-run homer two batters later putting the Spartans up by six. John Hagan delivered the final blow of the inning with his single that drove in two.
 
"We stranded a lot of base runners early in the game. Domonique broke it open with his three-run homer in the sixth," said Coach Eddie Uschold
 
Hanft struck out two in the ninth to finish off his masterpiece. He went the distance allowing no runs on two hits while striking out 10.
 
Hernandez did the most damage for the Spartans, driving in three with his home run in the seventh. McArthur and Hagan also did some damage, driving in two runs each.
 
Missouri Baptist baseball now sits third in the AMC with a 17-8 conference record (25-16 overall).
 
MBU wraps up their regular season on Friday against William Woods. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Spartan Field.