ST. LOUIS – No. 23 Missouri Baptist University baseball earned win No. 30 with a pair of victories over Harris-Stowe State University on Friday afternoon. The Spartans claimed game one 8-2 behind a three-RBI performance from James Jett and won 8-1 in game two on the strength of a scoreless performance out of the bullpen from JD Whitter.
 
Game One Recap
James Jett carried the offense in the first game, tallying three extra-base hits including a home run and two doubles. Both doubles drove in runs in the first and fourth innings with his 15^th home run of the year coming in the third.
 
The Spartans responded to a two-run first inning from the Hornets with a three-run bottom half which included a Cole Robinson sacrifice fly and a Jakob Kouneski RBI single. MBU tacked on one in the third, two in the fourth and one each in the fifth and sixth innings.
 
Austin Szverra got the start on the mound and gave his club four innings of two-run baseball. He allowed four hits and one earned with three strikeouts.
 
Greg Ryun came out of the bullpen for his 11^th appearance of the year and picked up his first career save with three shutout innings and three strikeouts.
 
Winning Pitcher: Austin Szverra (2-0)
Losing Pitcher: D. Gaines (2-6)
Save: Greg Ryun (1)
 
Batting Leaders
James Jett: 3-for-4, HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R
Cole Robinson: 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI
Jakob Kouneski: 2-for-3, 2 RBI
 
Game Two Recap
The MBU offense continued to put up runs in game two, opening with one run in the first, two in the second, and two in the third. Kouneski singled home a run in the opening frame, Tyson Ludwig plated a run alongside a solo blast from Dominic Palma in the second, and Carlos Hidalgo doubled home a fourth run in the third.
 
Senior Jackson Wells gave the Spartans three quality innings to start the game on the rubber, allowing a solo run to score in the second on an RBI double. He wrapped up his day with two hits, one earned, one walk, and four strikeouts.
 
Another lefty, JD Whitter, came out of the bullpen in the fourth and shut down the Hornets to the tune of three scoreless, one walk, and five strikeouts.
 
The Spartans tacked on a solo home run from Orozoco in the fifth and a two-run shot from Jett in the sixth before Skout Rallo set the side down in order in the seventh to wrap up an 8-1 win.
 
Winning Pitcher: JD Whitter (2-0)
Losing Pitcher: J. Mann (2-6)
 
Batting Leaders
James Jett: 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Jayden Orozco: 2-for-4, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Dominic Palma: 1-for-4, HR, RBI
 
Records:
No. 23 Missouri Baptist: 30-5, 25-5 AMC
Harris-Stowe State: 6-26, 4-21 AMC
 
What's Next?
Senior Day festivities begin on Saturday, April 12, at 11:30 a.m., before the Spartans finish the four-game set with HSSU with a doubleheader. The first pitch of game one is scheduled for noon.
 
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