SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – No. 16 Missouri Baptist University baseball went 1-1 on Saturday afternoon to finish up their California road trip with a 2-2 overall record. The Spartans played inning nine of yesterday's contest and lost after it was postponed due to darkness and followed up with a 15-11 slugfest win in the series finale.
 
Game One Recap
Missouri Baptist jumped out to an early 9-3 lead through the first two innings fueled by Blayne Yarger's grand slam to left-center in the second. Lucas Lefebvre also drove in a pair with a single in the frame.
 
The Mustangs continued to scratch across runs after a three-run first, with two in the second, one in the third, one in the fourth, and two in the fifth to tie the game at nine.
 
Lefebvre walked with one out in the top of the sixth, advanced to second on a groundout, and came in to score on an RBI single to right from Kai Gray. Jakob Kouneski picked up his second RBI in the game and extended the lead to 11-9 in the eighth in front of an unearned run a few batters later pushing MBU ahead 12-9.
 
The Master's added a run in the bottom of the eighth to pull within two before Friday's second game was ultimately postponed due to darkness. They picked up the next day with a 1-2-3 top of the ninth to set up a dramatic comeback in the bottom half. A single and an error set the stage for an Isaiah Morales RBI single. An intentional walk loaded the bases, a hit-by-pitch tied the game at 12, and Jacob Kowes walked the Spartans off with a single to left.
 
Winning Pitcher: M. Chung (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Elliot Veisauyadra (0-1)
 
Batting Leaders
Blayne Yarger: 3-for-6, Grand Slam, 4 RBI, 2 R
Jakob Kouneski: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 3 BB, R
Lucas Lefebvre: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 R
 
Game Two Recap
MBU answered a run from the home team in the bottom of the first with a two-RBI single from Miles Meadows in the second. They then exploded for five runs on three hits in the third after The Master's regained a one-run lead in the bottom of the second. Kouneski drove in another run with a single, Blayne Yarger scored on a passed ball, Jayden Orozco pushed a runner home with a fielder's choice, and Lefebvre continued a strong open to the season with a two-RBI knock to left.
 
Ty Beck singled home a pair in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead down to 7-5, but MBU had another crooked number prepared for the top of the seventh. Meadows drove in a run with a single, Lefebvre brought in a runner with a sacrifice fly, and Yarger plated a pair with a single to open an 11-5 lead.
 
The Spartans pushed across three more in the eighth and one in the ninth before Yarger was called to the mound and put the finishing touches on a 15-11 win with a scoreless ninth to close out the California trip.

Winning Pitcher: JD Whitter (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: L. Scott (0-1)

Batting Leaders
Miles Meadows: 2-for-4, 4 RBI, BB, R
Lucas Lefebvre: 2-for-4, 4 RBI
Kai Gray: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
 
Records:
No. 16 Missouri Baptist: 2-2
The Master's: 2-1
 
What's Next?
MBU baseball heads to Hattiesburg, Miss., to play No. 9 William Carey University on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 4 p.m. The Spartans will play four games in Mississippi next weekend including two against William Carey and two against Campbellsville University (Ky.).
 
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