WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. – The eighth-ranked MBU Spartans had an 11-game win streak snapped today in Arkansas. MoBap won the first game 2-1 in 10 innings, then fell to the Eagles 8-4 in the second game of the day.
GAME ONE: MBU 2, WBU 1 (10 inn.)
The opening game of the doubleheader featured a pitcher's duel that lasted into extra innings before a tenth inning
Blane Besse home run provided the difference in a 2-1 Spartans victory.
Both starters,
Anthony Green from MBU and Parker Jeffries of Williams Baptist, worked into at least the eighth inning with neither giving up more than one run. Green finished his day after seven and two-thirds, surrendering only one run on a home run, four hits, three walks with 13 strikeouts. Jeffries went nine innings, giving up a run on seven hits while walking one and fanning five. The Eagles' hurler threw 131 pitches in the effort.
Skout Rallo came on to pitch two and a third scoreless innings to gain the win. He also had five strikeouts, meaning Green and Rallo combined for 18 strikeouts in 10 innings.
Williams Baptist opened the scoring in the third on a solo home run by Jacob Watkins. They would hold that lead until the Spartans evened it up in the fifth.
Besse would reach on a two out single, then came around to score when
Blayne Yarger singled to right. Besse was attempting to go first to third when the right fielders throw escaped the grasp of the third baseman and went out of play allowing Besse to trot home from third with the tying run.
After the Eagles brought in Cole Edwards to start the tenth inning, Besse greeted him rudely by hitting the first pitch he saw over the left field fence to give the Spartans their first and only lead of the game.
Rallo allowed a base runner in the ninth but was able to secure his second win of the season.
Green now has 92 strikeouts on the season which places him fourth in the category in the NAIA. Although he did not figure in the decision, he still is tied for second in the NAIA in wins with nine.
GAME TWO: WBU 8, MBU 4
The Eagles jumped all over MBU starter
Tanner Young, and the Spartans were unable to secure enough timely hitting as WBU got the victory 8-4 in seven innings.
The game started in promising fashion for MBU as
Blane Besse hit his second home run in as many at bats to lead off the game. His home run in the tenth inning of the first game provided the difference. The Spartans would tack on two more in the opening frame when
Alex Adams and
Sage McMinn walked then both scored on a single by
Noah Hemphill and a double from
DJ Schmidt to lead 3-0 after half an inning.
Williams Baptist made it clear they weren't going anywhere though by scoring three of their own in the bottom of the first. The started the inning with a single, then a walk, followed by a hit by pitch. A single to right got the Eagles on the board, then a single later in the inning plated two more to tie the game at three.
MBU inched ahead again in the top of the second when
Cesar Soto led off with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by
Blayne Yarger.
The score would remain 4-3 MBU until the bottom of the third. A leadoff home run tied it up at four. A single, a strikeout, and a walk would spell the end of the day for Young, who gave way to
Brady Stephan. The junior from O'Fallon, Mo. allowed a bunt single to load the bases, followed by a single to right to score the second run of the inning to give the Eagles the lead 5-4. A wild pitch brought home the final run of the inning and WBU had a lead they would hold for the rest of the game.
The home team turned two walks and a single into another run in the fourth, then rounded out the scoring with a double, a stolen base, and a passed ball in the sixth to claim an 8-4 win over MBU.
Young took the loss to fall to 4-2 on the season. He pitched two and a third innings giving up six runs on six hits, with two walks and four strikeouts. Stephan threw three and two-thirds with two runs crossing the plate on five hits with five strikeouts and an uncharacteristic four walks.
The Spartans are now 31-5 with a 12-2 American Midwest Conference record. WBU is 19-22 and 6-8 in the AMC. The MBU lead atop the conference is down to one game over Columbia College.
The loss snapped the second 11-game win streak of the season for MBU. They started the 2023 season by winning their first 11 games.
The Eagles and Spartans will play the final game of the weekend series Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. The original start time of Noon was moved up due to the potential of inclement weather in the Walnut Ridge, Ark. area.
