SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – No. 16 Missouri Baptist University baseball dropped its season opener 5-3 on the road at The Master's University on Thursday afternoon. The Spartans hit three solo home runs, but it was not enough to overcome a four-run fifth inning from the Mustangs.
 
The Master's Recap
Catcher Jakob Kouneski backed a 1-2-3 top of the first inning from his battery mate and opening-day starter Teague Robertson with a solo home run to right field in the top of the second. Robertson worked around a two-out walk in the second, a lead off single in the third, and a two-out single in the fourth to keep the Mustangs off the scoreboard through four frames.
 
The Master's broke through in the fifth, however, after Zachary Jenkins worked a walk, advanced to second on an MBU error, and scored on an RBI single from Austin Young. Isaiah Morales drove in two more with a knock to centerfield to break the 1-1 tie and force Robertson out of the game after 4.1 innings, four hits, four earned, and two strikeouts.
 
Reliever Taylon Laxson surrendered a balk and a wild pitch to bring in a fourth run but struck out the next two hitters to end the frame.
 
Making his Spartan debut, Kai Gray led off the sixth with a solo blast to left field to cut the lead in half. The Master's extended the lead to 5-2 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth before an attempted comeback from MBU in the ninth.
 
Jayden Orozco kicked the frame off with his first home run of the season in front of a Cameron Roll walk. The Mustangs retired the next two batters before an error brought the tying run to the plate.
 
Blayne Yarger put up a long at-bat in the box, but Emilio Morales remained cool under the pressure and got him to strikeout to end the game with a 5-3 final.
 
Laxson ended his day after 2.2 innings, five strikeouts, one earned, and one hit in long relief. Elliot Veisauyadra also pitched a scoreless eighth inning and picked up a strikeout.
 
Batting Leaders
Kai Gray: 2-for-4, HR, RBI
Jakob Kouneski: 1-for-4, HR, RBi
Jayden Orozco: 1-for-4, HR, RBI
 
Records:
No. 11 Missouri Baptist: 0-1
The Master's: 1-0
 
What's Next?
Missouri Baptist opens Friday with a noon (CST) match-up with Providence Christian College before playing game two of a three-game set against The Master's at 4 p.m. (CST).  
 
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