COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri Baptist University softball closed out its 2019 campaign with a short stay at the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Softball Championship. On Wednesday, the Spartans were dealt back-to-back losses in close fashion to No. 1 seed Columbia College and No. 4 seed Lyon College. The tournament host and 23^rd-ranked Cougars outlasted Missouri Baptist in a pitcher's duel, 2-0, while Lyon withstood a rally from the Spartans in a 5-4 win.
 
MBU finished its first season under new head coach Ken Messer-Brooks with a record of 19-24, 11-13 AMC. Including Wednesday's Pool Play games, the Spartans finished the year on a six-game skid against AMC opponents, although three of the games were determined by just one run.
 
The future certainly looks bright for the Spartans as they will look to return the entire 2019 roster minus their four-year starter at catcher, Meagan Elder.
 
In the tournament opener, which was pushed back a day due to rain and thunderstorms, the game came down to who would score first. MBU and Columbia's top pitchers – Delissa Dennison and Lexi Dickerson – duked it out in the circle and each allowed just three hits apiece.
 
Dennison held the upper hand early on with a no-hitter through three, while Dickerson had yielded three singles to the Spartans heading into the 4^th. Dennison also had an impressive stretch going in which she retired seven straight Columbia batters and sprinkled in three strikeouts along the way.
 
Top-seeded Columbia made its move in the fourth inning riding the momentum of a leadoff double from AMC Player of the Year Molly Carter. With a sac bunt and sac fly, the Cougars scored the go-ahead run and went up 1-0.
 
CC added an insurance run in the sixth, but would not need it in large part due to AMC Pitcher of the Year Lexi Dickerson's dominance. After allowing three hits, the sophomore righthander retired the final 13 batters for MBU.
 
In the elimination game, the Spartans' drew No. 4 seed Lyon College, a team they split with in the regular season.
 
The Scots made things difficult on Game Two starter Ally Dunaway, exploding for six hits in the top of the 2^nd. Lyon's six hits, along with two errors, translated into an early 4-0 lead for the team from Batesville, Ark.
 
Missouri Baptist chipped away at the 4-0 deficit the following half inning and was able to capitalize on a Lyon miscue. Freshman MaKenzie Harbaugh, who got the start at shortstop, led off with a single to right and later scored on a wild throw by Scots' catcher Mikayla Mullens.
 
In the third, the Spartans finally got their bats rolling beginning with an Ally Gischer single up the middle. Following back-to-back ground outs, Missouri Baptist unloaded on the Scots with three consecutive doubles by Amber Mobbs, Jordan Corby and MaKenzie Harbaugh. And just like that, the Spartans had tied the ballgame at 4-4.
 
Both teams turned to pitchers on their respective benches following the third frame. MBU brought in Game 1 starter Delissa Dennison, while Lyon replaced Faith Cornmesser with Shyanne Pedroza.
 
The two offenses, which both seemed to be clicking prior to the switches, struggled to gain traction. It again felt like the Columbia game in which, the first to score would likely earn the victory. In 3.2 innings of relief, Dennison struck out seven and allowed just two hits, however, the final one was the dagger. In the top of the 7^th, Lyon's Cheyenne Black drove a ball to deep right-center for an RBI double and the eventual gamewinner.
 
Missouri Baptist had its chance to steal the win or at least prolong the game with back-to-back singles by Ally Gischer and Sydney Engelhart to lead off the bottom of the 7^th, however, a pop out bunt and a double play off a line drive ended the promising rally.
 
Gischer and Harbaugh led the way for the Spartans in Game Two with two hits a piece.