CANTON, Mo. – MBU Baseball split a 7/7 doubleheader on the road against Culver-Stockton on Tuesday afternoon. The Spartans are 25-14 overall and have now completed the non-conference portion of the regular season.
 
GAME ONE
The midweek non-con doubleheader meant both teams went away from their traditional starting rotations. The Spartans went with Ryan Turner on the mound while Culver gave Hunter Zimmerly the nod. Each was making his first career start.
 
The first-time starters were greeted with heavy-hitting offenses in the first two innings. MBU struck first for four in the top of the first. A single by Kyle O'Brien scored one and a triple by Noah Hemphill made it 3-0. Tommy Patrick's sac fly capped off a solid opening inning.
 
Four runs, however, would not be nearly enough in this one though. Culver scored six in the second to end Turner's day early. After O'Brien launched a solo HR in the third, CSC came back with two more in the bottom of the inning. They led 8-5 after three.  
 
The back-and-forth continued with two on and nobody out in the top of the fourth. Treyton Steffler tied it with a three homer to send Zimmerly to the showers. Aaron Chappelear got Manny Garcia to fly out but then surrendered another solo shot to O'Brien. That made it 9-8 Mo. Bap. The senior's second long ball of the day was his 13^th of the season and brought his RBI total to 50.
 
The Spartan bullpen could not contain the Culver offense though and the Wildcats immediately tied it at 9 in the bottom of the fourth and then put up a five-spot in the sixth to lead 14-9. They would finish with 18 hits. The visitors would go quietly in the seventh to let the opener slip away by a final of 14-9.
 
GAME TWO
Missouri Baptist scored first again in the second game and this time they were able to protect the lead throughout. RBI doubles from Adrian Gutierrez and Tommy Patrick Jr. spotted the Spartans a 3-0 advantage.
 
Patrick was involved in the scoring again in the third with another RBI double. Carter Mize followed with his sixth HR of the season to make it 6-0.
 
The Wildcats chipped away to cut the deficit to 7-5 after five but the Spartans broke it open for good with a big sixth inning. Run-scoring hits from Gutierrez, Patrick, Noah Hemphill, and Manny Garcia added up to a five-run frame. They would add another three in the seventh but did it without a hit (three walks and two wild pitches).
 
Junior Jackson Keller made his first career start for the Spartans and pitched five serviceable innings. He allowed four earned runs and struck out six. Brian Higdon and Tyler Worrell closed out the final two frames. The final was 15-7. 
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The regular season comes to a close this weekend as the Spartans take on Harris-Stowe at home. The senior day presentation will take place prior to Saturday's doubleheader. The AMC Postseason Tournament begins May 5 for the Spartans.