HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The pitching depth of the 2024 version of Missouri Baptist Baseball was on full display on Saturday morning as three pitchers combined to limit the Campbellsville University Tigers to just five hits in a 3-2 victory in eight innings in Hattiesburg, Miss.
 
Normally beckoned from the bullpen last year, sophomore Landon Albers was handed the ball to start the fourth game of the season and he did not disappoint. The sophomore from Breese, Ill., gave up a hit and a run in each of his first two innings but weathered the early bumps to finish four strong innings. Along the way he walked three and struck out two but gave his team a chance to win.
 
The Spartan offense got the game even at two in the bottom of the third inning. Right fielder Cameron Roll continued his torrid start to the season by leading the inning off with a single. Seeing his first at bats of the young season, designated hitter Lucas Lefebvre followed with a single of his own. After a fly out, Blane Besse grounded into a fielder's choice forcing Lefebvre at second but advancing Roll to third with two outs. Besse then swiped second base to put two runners in scoring position for center fielder Blayne Yarger. The senior from Rolla, Mo. roped a double to right center to bring home both runners to tie the game at two. That marked the fourth and fifth RBI for Yarger, leading the team in that category.
 
Following Albers to the mound were some new faces that will be counted on heavily this season if the Spartans are to have the type of success they are expecting. Adrian Burciaga took over in the fifth, working two scoreless innings before giving way to Spencer Smith. Smith was on the wild side but completed the final two innings without giving up a run while walking three, striking out one and delivering two wild pitches.
 
The scheduled seven-inning game remained tied at two into the eighth inning before the Spartans closed the show. Yarger started the rally with a lead-off hit-by-pitch and moved to second when Alex Adams singled to left field. After back-to-back fly outs, the runners had moved up to second and third with two outs. Third baseman Jayden Orozco stepped to the plate and delivered a hard ground ball that eluded the opposing third baseman, and the Spartans walked off with a 3-2 victory in extra innings.
 
Smith was credited with the win in relief, his first as a Spartan. Lefebvre was the only MBU batter with more than one hit in the game, going two for three.
 
MBU returns home from Hattiesburg with a 3-1 record, by sweeping two games with Campbellsville and splitting a pair with No.4 William Carey University. As a team they are hitting a scorching .328, led by Roll with a torrid .667 average and an .833 slugging percentage. First baseman Cole Robinson is second on the team with a .471 average followed by Yarger at .429.
 
Next week MBU will travel back down south to Sterlington, La. to take part in the Cajun Collision. Their first of four games will be Thursday night at 6:30 p.m.