CONWAY, ARK. - Missouri Baptist blasted four homers in the final three innings, including a walk-off shot from Allison Leigraf, to come out on top 7-6 in their second game of the AMC Tournament against Central Baptist.

 

Over half of the Spartans hits against the Mustangs went for extra bases, four homeruns and two doubles.

 

Despite trailing throughout the early part of the contest, Missouri Baptist continued to take great at-bats. The Spartans produced 11 hits and worked to get on base by drawing five walks. 

 

Missouri Baptist struck first, in the bottom of the second inning, when Emily Wright drove home Camryn Kessler on back-to-back two out doubles. 

 

Central Baptist quickly took the lead as they scored three runs on three hits, highlighted by a three-run homer, in the top of the third. The Spartans responded with a run of their own when Makayla Johnson walked with the bases loaded, scoring Miranda Ladson. MBU drew three walks in the inning and picked up a pair of hits.

 

The Mustangs did not make it simple for MBU as they extended their lead back to two runs in the top of the fifth inning, but that did not last long. Alexi Sanchez launched a leadoff homer to start the bottom half of the inning, and with Johnson on base Kessler put the Spartans up by one with a homerun of her own.

 

Up 5-4, the Spartans were looking for a shutdown inning in the sixth, but the Mustangs had a different idea and they tied the game with a solo shot.

 

With two away in the bottom half of the sixth, Ladson got a pitch she liked and deposited it over the fence to give Missouri Baptist another one run lead.

 

Central Baptist did not go away easily in the seventh. The Mustangs manufactured a run off of two hits and sent the game to the bottom of the seventh, knotted at six apiece.

 

Leigraf was set to leadoff the inning and she found herself in a 2-0 count, and she put a good swing on the pitch and lifted it up and over the left center field fence for a walk-off solo homerun, giving the Spartans a 7-6 win for their second win in the AMC Tournament.

 

Missouri Baptist put their resiliency on display in the victory over the Mustangs, who was one of two AMC teams to beat them in the regular season, as the lead changed five times and they trailed until the fifth inning.

 

Brooklyn Fischer threw the first six innings for the Spartans and picked up five punch outs, and Taylor Whitehead came in for the save in the seventh, but was awarded the win.

 

Winning Pitcher: Taylor Whitehead (18-2)

Losing Pitcher: K. O'Kelley (0-4)

 

Batting Leaders

Camryn Kessler: 2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Miranda Ladson: 3-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R

Allison Leigraf: 2-for-4, HR, RBI, R

 

Records

Missouri Baptist: 42-6 (20-2 AMC)

Central Baptist: 28-24 (15-7 AMC)

 

Next Game

Missouri Baptist will be back in action tomorrow when they take on the winner of William Woods and Columbia on field 1 at noon.

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