NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Missouri Baptist Spartans saw their season-high 11-game winning streak come to an end with a loss in the second game of a doubleheader with Central Baptist College on Friday. MBU took the first game 11-5 in seven innings before the Mustangs prevailed 13-5 in nine innings in game two.
 
GAME ONE: MBU 11, CBC 5
Spartans' starter Teague Robertson pitched five innings to stay unbeaten on the year and Blayne Yarger was the hitting star as the Spartans won their eleventh straight game, with MBU pulling away late to the defeat the Mustangs 11-5.
 
Robertson gave up four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out two. The victory is the fifth of the season for the junior from Columbia, Mo. without a loss. Yarger finished the game two for three with a home run, two walks, and five RBIs.
 
MBU relied on a big inning to gain superiority. Trailing 2-0 entering the third inning, the Spartans put eight runs on the board to take the lead for good. The big hits included two-RBI singles from Yarger and Cole Robinson, and a three-run blast from catcher Jakob Kouneski. The home run for Kouneski is his fourth of the season as he also became the sixth Spartan to eclipse the 20-RBI plateau.
 
The top of the third inning was long for more reasons than one. With one out the field umpire became ill and had to leave the game, causing a 48 minute delay before play could continue.
 
MoBap gave back a couple of those runs in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 8-4 but outscored the Mustangs 3-1 over the final two innings for the 11-5 victory.
 
Blane Besse was the only other Spartan with multiple hits, finishing two for two at the plate with three walks and two runs scored. He was not retired in any of his five plate appearances.
 
GAME TWO: CBC 13, MBU 5
The Mustangs came out with something to prove in the second game, as CBC starter Jaxon Kirkuff and two relievers were able to quiet the usually destructive Spartans offense. The Mustangs held the Spartans to just four hits.
 
Central Baptist's offense had no such hesitations as the first five Mustang batters reached in the bottom of the first before one was retired against Spartans starter Landon Albers. Before the frame was complete, CBC had three runs on two hits while benefitting from an error and three walks.
 
Albers' day ended in the third when he induced a groundout then walked his sixth batter of the game then allowed him to advance to second on a wild pitch. Nick Sharp relieved Albers but had control issues. Sharp walked the first two batters he faced, then allowed an inherited runner to score on a fielder's choice, followed by a walk, a grand slam, and another walk. Brady Stephan was summoned from the bullpen to get the final out of the inning, but the damage had been done. The Mustangs owned an 8-0 lead after three innings.
 
Blayne Yarger hit his second home run of the day and first of the game to get the Spartans on the board in the fourth. Alex Adams connected on a three-run home run in the fifth as it appeared the Spartans were showing signs of life, trailing only 8-4 after four and a half innings. The home run is number 14 of the season as Adams leads the team in that category.
 
Yarger drove home another run in the top of the seventh to close the gap to 8-5 as the Spartans inched closer. However, the Mustangs were able to avoid any further damage, then end the suspense with five runs in the bottom of the eighth.
 
Albers took the loss, his first of the season to go along with three wins. Adams had two of the four Spartan hits, including the home run and a double. The Yarger fourth-inning home run and a Blane Besse fifth-inning double made up the rest of the Spartans hits. The bottom six spots in the Spartans batting order were 0 for 17 with six walks and four strikeouts.
 
The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for MBU, which was their season high and matches their longest since last season when they accomplished the feat twice.
 
The Spartans now stand at 22 and eight. They will play the rubber game of the three-game set with the Mustangs on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.