BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Missouri Baptist University first baseman Cole Robinson tripled his home run total in one day, but he was hardly alone, as the Spartans thrashed the Baker University (Kan.) Wildcats 12-9 and 16-6 on Thursday.
 
GAME ONE: MBU 12, Baker 9
The explosive MBU offense wasn't firing early in the first game, but made up for lost opportunities later when it counted to earn the victory.
 
MBU got on the board with a little small ball in the top of the first inning as leadoff hitter Blane Besse walked, stole second base, advanced to third on a wild pitch, then came home to score on an Alex Adams sacrifice fly.  The Spartans scored a run without the benefit of a hit to lead 1-0.
 
The Wildcats took the lead in the bottom of the second as they pushed two runs across the board against Spartan starter Teague Robertson. The righthander from Columbia, Mo was able to limit the damage though as he gave up two hits, a walk, and two hit batsmen but got a strikeout with the bases loaded to avoid further damage.
 
It was a harbinger of things to come, but the Spartans didn't get their first hit until the top of the third, and it was an impactful one. Second baseman Cesar Soto launched his first home run of the season over the left field fence to draw the game even at two.
 
However, the floodgates opened for the Spartan pitching staff in the bottom of the inning as Baker sent 11 batters to the plate and six of them scored. The Wildcats chased Robertson after two and a third innings while saddling him with five earned runs. The normally effective Brady Stephan came in to relieve and lasted only six batters, surrendering two hits, three walks and hitting a batter. Landon Albers came in to finish the inning and threw one pitch to get a lineout double play from Adams to Soto at second base.
 
If there is one thing that has been evident early in the season, with the prolific nature of the MBU offense, they are never out of a game. Trailing 8-2 in the top of the fourth of the seven-inning game they scored three runs with two outs. Joe Schmidt and DJ Schmidt walked then scored on a Kyle Bermudez double, then Soto singled to bring home Bermudez. The Spartans had some life, trailing 8-5.
 
After Baker got a run back in the bottom of the fourth, Robinson muscled up for his first home run of the game in the fifth to get it back to a three-run deficit, 9-6 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
 
As they have been known to do, the Spartans put together a big inning in the six. Bermudez and Soto were on base when Besse stepped to the plate and tied the game with a three-run home run, his third of the season. A Cameron Roll single and a double for Adams set the table for Robinson to clear them again, this time with a bomb to left field, his second of the game and fourth of the season, which gave the Spartans a 12-9 lead for good.
Sean Keene got the win in relief as he came on with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. The win is his second of the season. Skout Rallo earned his second save of the season by pitching the bottom of the seventh.
 
Soto was three for four in the game with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Robinson went two for four with two home runs and four RBI.
 
GAME TWO: MBU 16, Baker 6
Robinson picked up where he left off in game one, launching another home run in the first inning to give the Spartans an early lead. The third home run of the day for the junior from Saint Louis drove home Besse who once again had led off the game with a walk.
 
Two batters into the bottom of the first, the game would be tied as Spartan starter Greg Ryun grooved a pitch that was sent out of the park to even it up. Later in the inning a run would score when Ryun was charged with a balk.
 
The Spartans benefited from an error to tie the game in the second as DJ Schmidt walked then later scored on a throwing error by the shortstop. The Spartans and Wildcats were knotted at three.
 
Ryun would surrender two more runs and three hits in the bottom of the second as once again Baker took the lead, 5-3. Lefty Jackson Wells would relieve Ryun in the third and proceed to throw three innings of shutout baseball.
 
The big inning everyone was expecting happened for the Spartans in the fifth. Adams tripled, then scored on a wild pitch. Robinson got into one for his second homer of the day and fourth of the day for another run. However, the most telling blow would happen later in the inning. Soto would get another RBI when his fielder's choice scored DJ Schmidt. Then Besse launched his second home run of the day to bring home Soto and Lucas Lefebvre. The Spartans had built a 9-5 lead. A single by Cameron Roll started the train again, followed by three consecutive walks to bring him home for the tenth run, and the seventh of the inning. Going to the bottom of the fifth the Spartans enjoyed a 10-5 cushion.
 
MBU added six more in the top of the sixth, as 11 batters came to the plate. They were aided by three Wildcat errors as well. Before the dust settled the Spartans had six runs on six hits in the frame to lead 16-5.
 
The Wildcats managed a run in the bottom of the sixth, but the scheduled nine-inning game was ended due to the "run-rule" after seven innings, with the final 16-6.
 
Wells gained the victory by giving up just four hits and no walks with three strikeouts in his three innings of work. He evened his record at 1-1.
 
In all the Spartans launched seven home runs between the two games, with four of them coming off the bat of Robinson. He now leads the team with six on the season.
 
The Spartans will be back on the diamond in Fayette, Mo., for the Central Methodist University Invite, counting two ranked teams among their four opponents next Friday and Saturday.