SAINT LOUIS – Missouri Baptist University Baseball extended its monumental run of offense of late by opening American Midwest Conference play with two resounding victories over Hannibal-LaGrange University on Saturday. The Spartans won 9-3 and 21-6 over the Trojans, and they are now on a five-game winning streak in which they have averaged over 13 runs a game.
 
GAME ONE: MBU 9, HLGU 3
MBU trailed early in this game and in fact didn't take the lead until the bottom of the fifth inning, yet still found late offense in the 9-3 win over the Trojans. Teague Robertson pitched the full seven innings for his second complete game as he stayed undefeated this season at 3-0.
 
The Trojans took the lead in the third inning. After an HLGU batter was hit by a pitch started the inning the Trojans followed with back-to-back singles, the second of which involved a throwing error which allowed the first run of the game to score. Another single later in the inning brought home two more runs to give HLGU a 3-0 lead.
 
The Spartans got one run back on an RBI single by Alex Adams in the bottom of the third, then evened the game at three in the bottom of the fourth. The tying run scored thanks to a two RBI single by Blayne Yarger that plated Cesar Soto and Jayden Orozco.
 
MBU took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth, when Cameron Roll singled home DJ Schmidt, then stole second and scored ahead of an Orozco double. The two runs made it 5-3 for the home squad.
 
Cole Robinson made sure MBU maintained the lead by launching his team-leading ninth home run of the season. It was of the three-run variety, scoring Blane Besse and Blayne Yarger ahead of him. The blast gave Robinson's 25 RBIs on the year.
 
Meanwhile, Robertson was on cruise control on the mound. In fact, he only faced over the minimum three batters in the third, sixth, and seventh innings. Three of the other innings, the first, second, and the fourth, Robertson was assisted with inning-ending double-plays. He surrendered eight hits while walking just one and fanning six.
 
Besse, Yarger, and Roll all had two hits in the game, while Robinson led the way with three RBIs.
 

GAME TWO: MBU 21, HLGU 6
The high-powered Spartans offense didn't take quite as long to percolate in the second game of the day, and once it got going it never really stopped. At one point MBU lead 18-1 before settling for the "run-rule" finish of 21-6 after seven innings.
 
Jakob Kouneski was a perfect four for four with two of those hits being home runs. He accounted for six RBIs while helping his team to their fifth straight win. Landon Albers made just his second start of the season and was solid, lasting six innings while giving up six runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out four for his second win of the season.
 
Kouneski homered in the bottom of the first to put the Spartans on the board. Jayden Orozco continued his recent power surge by hitting a two-run home just two batters later.
 
Leading 3-0 after two innings, the Spartans tacked on five more in the third, with Kouneski again doing most of the damage. After Blayne Yarger and Cole Robinson singled, Kouneski hit a three-run homer to double the lead to 6-0. The two home runs in successive innings gives Kouneski three home runs this season. Cameron Roll restarted the rally by earning a walk, stealing second base, then scoring on a DJ Schmidt single. Cesar Soto then doubled to left center. With two outs, Schmidt was going on contact, which allowed him to score all the way from first. The lead was 8-0 Spartans after three.
 
Oh but MBU was just warming up. In the fourth the Spartans sent 14 men to the plate, with 10 of them scoring, including at least one from every member of the starting nine. The big blow once again came off the bat of Robinson, who launched a grand slam to account for the final four runs of the inning. All told in the fourth, the Spartans did their damage with seven hits and an error mixed in.
 
The Trojans found traction in the top of the sixth inning, scoring five runs on four hits as it appeared Albers, while largely avoiding hard contact, seemed to start to wear down. A soft single to right, a grounder down the third base line, and a perfectly placed looper to left center loaded the bases. Albers walked in the Trojans second run. However, there was nothing soft about the contact of Trojans catcher Caden Paxton, who hit a grand slam to get the Trojans back within 18-6.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Kouneski got a couple of those runs back with a 2-RBI single to center, then replacement third-baseman Lucas Lefebvre finished out the scoring with an RBI single up the middle to score pinch-runner Joe Schmidt.
 
In addition to Kouneski's four hits, DJ Schmidt, Cesar Soto, and Blayne Yarger also accounted for three hits themselves.
 
With his home runs in both games today, Robinson now has 10 home runs and 29 RBIs to lead the Spartans in both categories. His .400 average ties him for the team lead with Blane Besse.
 
The Spartans prevailed 21-6. They are 16-7 on the year and now 2-0 in AMC play. HLGU dropped to 5-12, and 0-2 in conference. These teams will take a day off on Sunday before HLGU travels back to Spartan Baseball Field on Monday to complete the three-game series. That game is scheduled to get started at 2:00 p.m.