HENDERSON, Tenn. – To say the Missouri Baptist Baseball offense is firing on cylinders would be both cliché and a monumental understatement. On Tuesday, the Spartans banged out 14 hits in compiling 19 runs in a lopsided 19-6 win in eight innings over the Freed-Hardeman University Lions.
 
In fact, the Spartans effectively put the game away in the top of the first inning against FHU. The game began with what would become a recurring theme throughout. Leadoff hitter Blane Besse was hit by a pitch. It was the first of an incredible nine times an MBU batter would be plunked in the game. Besse would steal second before Alex Adams drew a walk. Then it was Cole Robinson's turn to feel the sting of a Lion hurler's delivery. With the bases loaded, Jakob Kouneski hit a sac fly to score Besse and open the scoring. Two more successive walks ensued to force home another run before designated hitter Joe Schmidt drove home two runs with a single to center. Kyle Bermudez drove home two of his own to put the visitors up 6-0 before the Lions ever came to plate. In the frame, MBU scored six runs on just two hits, with three walks and the first two of nine hit batsmen.
 
MBU added two more runs in the third inning. Like the first, it started with a hit batter, this time Cameron Roll. Second baseman Jayden Orozco made sure Roll had time to recover by allowing him to stroll home in front of his fourth home run in the last three games. MBU was up 8-0 after two and a half innings.
 
The Lions scored their only runs of the game in the fifth inning to put a little pressure back on the Spartans. Ironically, they did so by following the Spartans recipe. FHU was able to claw back to 8-6 by scoring all their runs on three hits and three hit batters. The big blow was a grand slam surrendered by Spartans reliever Greg Ryun to make it a two-run game.
 
Gathering themselves, the Spartans answered with four runs of their own in the top of the fifth. This time Besse singled and scored on a Blayne Yarger home run, his third in his last two games, to give MBU a four-run cushion. Later, Roll would drive in another run with a fielder's choice. The final runs of the inning scored on a balk by the Lions' pitcher.
 
The Spartans added two more in the seventh when Bermudez was plunked and later scored on an Adams sac fly. Kouneski drove home run number 14 with a fielder's choice.
 
MBU finished out the scoring with five runs in the top of the eighth. With one out the Spartans strung together four consecutive hits, including a solo home run from Schmidt, his first of the 2024 season. Roll had another two RBI single to close out the scoring.
 
In all, five Spartans had three RBI in the contest.
 
The Spartans took a "bullpen by committee" approach on Tuesday. Starter Jackson Wells threw just 34 pitches in three scoreless innings, followed by an inning and two thirds from Ryun. Brady Stephan followed Ryun to the bump and threw all zeros for an inning and third and earned the win. Tony Caldwell finished it out with two innings of scoreless work.
 
With 19 runs on Tuesday, the Spartans have now scored 50 runs in their last three games, behind the power of 15 home runs.
 
Next up, MBU will open American Midwest Conference play against Hannibal-LaGrange University on Friday at Spartan Baseball Field. First pitch for the first of two on Friday is 12:00 p.m.