ST. LOUIS—MBU Baseball (24-13, 17-7 AMC) won another AMC series on Friday afternoon. The Spartans took game one of the doubleheader from CBC (23-16, 9-1 AMC) 10-1 before falling short by an 8-7 final in the series finale. Third-place Lyon split its series with Harris-Stowe guaranteeing the Spartans at least second place in the AMC standings.
 
GAME THREE
After scoring 26 runs in two games on Thursday, the Spartans picked up where they left off offensively on Friday. They lit up CBC freshman pitcher Austin LaJeune for eight in the bottom of the first inning. The big hit was a bases-clearing three-run double off the bat of Treyton Steffler (in his second at-bat of the inning). Carter Mize and Hunter Hill also had RBI singles in the frame as MBU sent 13 hitters to the plate.
 
They added two more on an RBI double by Mize in the second and LaJeune's day was finished after just 1.1. Steven Huff came on in relief for the Mustangs and actually found a way to quiet the MBU bats. Huff retired 12 of the first 13 he faced and didn't allow a run in 4 and 2/3.
 
The damage was done though and with Matthew Hess making the start on mound for Missouri Baptist, a double-digit lead was well protected. Hess allowed six hits and nearly had the complete game shutout before it was broken up with two outs in the seventh. The senior improved to 6-0 on the season.
 
GAME FOUR
The Spartans fell short of a four-game sweep after a ninth-inning walk-off by Williams Baptist last weekend and they would meet a similar fate in the series finale on this Friday afternoon.
 
Trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, RBI singles by Steffler and Kyle O'Brien cut the deficit in half. The Mustangs came right back with two in the sixth to reassert the four-run lead.
 
The Spartans needed a big inning and they got it in the bottom of the sixth. Hunter Hill drew a walk to leadoff the inning and then Mize, Tommy Patrick, and Luis Tajia all singled in succession. Steffler's sacrifice fly made it a two-run game and two batters later, O'Brien delivered a single that tied the game at six.
 
CBC claimed the lead back once again in the eight and added another in the ninth to take an 8-6 advantage to the final half-inning. Missouri Baptist rallied again beginning with a leadoff single by Manny Garcia. A hit by Noah Hemphill and a wild pitch put the tying run at second base with two outs.
 
Hunter Hill's hard-hit ball toward third base scored the runner from third but third baseman Austin Teal was able to knock it down and keep it on the infield. Teal faked the throw to first and pinch-runner Ashanti Ross, believing the ball had made it past Teal to the outfield, took a big turn around third. Teal threw home instead and caught Ross in a rundown which eventually ended in a tag to end the game.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
A four-game series with Harris-Stowe next weekend is all that remains on the regular season AMC schedule for the Spartans. Before that, however, they'll travel to Culver-Stockton on Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader.