KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Missouri Baptist Baseball team suffered no shortage of power on Saturday, blasting twelve home runs in a doubleheader sweep of St Ambrose University and Doane University.
 
GAME ONE: MBU 17, ST. ABROSE 8
The Spartans hit eight home runs against St Ambrose, including a historic four coming from Alex Adams.
 
It took until the bottom of the third inning before the vaunted Spartans offense kicked in and put this game virtually out of reach for the Fighting Bees. MBU trailed 5-3 entering the frame but would put a 10 spot on the board to blow the game open. After getting the Spartans on the board with a two-run homer in the first, Adams went long again to lead off the third to get the Spartans within a run. Cole Robinson then singled before Jakob Kouneski connected on his first home run of the season to put the Spartans in the lead for the first time, 6-5. One out later Jayden Orozco got in on the fun by launching his first home run as a Spartan to give MBU a two-run lead. Kyle Bermudez singled then scored ahead of a Blane Besse triple. Besse would later score on a wild pitch. Blayne Yarger walked to give the Spartans another base runner. Adams stepped to the plate and delivered his second home run of the inning, and his third in as many at bats to fortify the lead to 11-5. Robinson then hit a homer of his own. After back-to-back singles by Kouneski and DJ Schmidt, Orozco drove in the final run of the inning with an RBI-double. While scoring 10 runs, the Spartans sent 15 batters to the plate resulting in five home runs and putting them comfortably ahead 13-5 going into the fourth inning of the seven-inning game.
 
Adams would go deep again in the fourth following a single by Besse. It was Adams' fourth home run in four at-bats, with all of them occurring in the first four innings. Orozco muscled up again in the fifth for his second home run of the game and second of the season. By that time MBU was on top 16-6.
 
They would go on to win the first game of the day, 17-8. Landon Albers was the beneficiary of the offensive explosion. He relieved starter Anthony Green to start the third inning and proceeded to throw five innings while giving up three runs on four hits while walking three and striking out five. He earned his first win of the season.
 
Adams finished the game four for five at the plate with four home runs and seven RBIs.
 
GAME TWO: MBU 14, Doane 5
The Spartans exacted a bit of revenge in game two of the day. Last weekend the Doane Tigers beat the Spartans twice on their home field while outscoring them 23-7. This time it was MBU's chance to put a lopsided win on the board, although it didn't happen until their final at bat.
 
Six days after being no-hit for six innings by Tigers starter Kaden Crawford, the Spartans announced early and often that Saturday was going to be a little different. Blane Besse led off the game with a single then later scored on a Cole Robinson double. Jakob Kouneski then singled to bring home Robinson. Just five batters into the game the Spartans were on top 2-0.
 
After the Tigers put a single run on the board in the bottom of the inning, the Spartans struck for three more once again via the long ball. Blayne Yarger connected for a three-run homer, his first of the day but the Spartans' ninth to make the lead 5-1 after two innings. That would be the final batter Crawford would face as he did not return to the mound for the third inning.
 
The Tigers got to Spartan starter Teague Robertson for two more runs on three hits in the bottom of the second to trim the MBU lead to 5-3.
 
When the Tigers were able to push two more runs across to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth, the Spartans made the peculiar move of bringing in their usual-closer, Skout Rallo. It turned out to be a wise decision as the senior from Ozark, Mo. struck out the last batter of the inning with the lead run on third base. He would blank the Tigers for the rest of the game.
 
Yarger went deep again in the sixth to allow the Spartans to regain the lead, 6-5. They held the one-run advantage until the top of the seventh. The Spartans put three on the board thanks to Besse's one-out, three-run home run. MBU loaded the bases again thanks to two walks and a single before Cameron Roll drove home two more runs. Another run scored on an errant pickoff throw from the Tigers pitcher. Orozco made the mistake hurt even more by belting another two-run home run. MBU scored eight runs in the inning and blowing open a close game, leading 14-5.
 
Rallo finished with a flourish by striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh. He earned his first victory of the season by pitching three and a third hitless innings while walking just one and striking out five.
 
Yarger was two for five at the plate and with his two home runs he had four RBIs.
 
The Spartan offense accounted for a whopping twelve home runs across the two games with four from Adams, three from Orozco, two from Yarger, and single home runs from Robinson, Kouneski, and Besse. Adams and Robinson are now tied for the team lead with nine on the season. Robinson holds a one run advantage (22) over Besse and Adams (21) in RBIs.
 
MBU is now 13-7 on the season. They will travel to Henderson, Tenn. on Tuesday to take on (25) Freed-Hardeman.