LEBANON, Tenn. – No.12 Missouri Baptist University baseball swept a Friday afternoon doubleheader at (RV) Cumberland University to earn a series win.

Griffin Brown's big day helped MBU to a pair of wins, homering in both contests. His fourth-inning home run in the fourth of game one was the difference in a 5-4 win, followed by a clutch ninth-inning blast in the second game to help secure a 6-4 game two win.

Game One Recap
The Spartans opened up the game with three runs on three hits. Marcus Graham worked a one-out walk, Jayden Orozco singled, and Nick Beech did the job with an RBI single. With two outs, Angelo Franco clubbed a double down the left field line to score two and open a 3-0 lead.
 
MBU starting pitcher Teague Robertson held the Phoenix quiet for the first two frames but loaded the bases in the bottom of the third and pushed a runner home with a hit-by-pitch. He got out of the jam by fielding his position on a 1-3 putout.
 
Griffin Brown answered back with a solo home run in the top of the fourth, and Robertson upheld the 4-1 advantage with a 1-2-3 bottom half, including a strikeout.
 
A throwing error added a fifth run for the Spartans in the top half of the fifth before Cumberland pushed Robertson out of the game in the bottom with a solo home run and a one-out hit-by-pitch. JD Whitter came in and surrendered a double and a two-RBI single before working out of the jam with a.4-6-3 double play.
 
Whitter retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth, and closer Zach Peters was called upon in the seventh for the save. He recorded a looking strikeout before coughing up a solo home run to Caleb Royer to make the score 5-4.
 
Peters got a flyout, walked a runner, and ended the game with a swinging strikeout to pick up his third save of the year.
 
Robertson improved his record to 2-0 after tossing 4.1 innings with three earned on seven hits and two strikeouts. Whitter went 1.2 scoreless innings with a pair of hits and a strikeout.
 
Winning Pitcher: Teague Robertson (2-0)
Losing Pitcher: L. Baskin (2-1)
Save: Zach Peters (3)
 
Batting Leaders
Angelo Franco: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Griffin Brown: 2-for-3, HR, RBI
Nick Beech: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 R, BB
 
Game Two Recap
Starting pitchers Gus Lucas and Mateo Santos had the game scoreless until Kevin Watkins scored on a balk in the top of the third inning. Dylan LaRue responded with a double down the left field line in the bottom half to tie the game at one.
 
Lucas continued to stifle Cumberland until Gaines Haussin hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Phoenix a 2-1 advantage. After surrendering a single in the next at-bat, Eddie Uschold pulled his starter after 6.2 innings, eight hits, two earned runs, three walks, and a pair of strikeouts.
 
Austin Szverra came in and forced a groundout to get MBU out of the inning.
 
Down to their final two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Spartans sent up Brown with a runner on first base, and he drilled a two-run, go-ahead home run, his second of the afternoon. Carlos Hidalgo picked up his third of four hits in the game in the next at-bat and scored on an Orozco RBI single to make it 4-2.
 
Cumberland put a couple of runners on in the bottom of the ninth, and they both scored when a dropped fly ball with two outs tied the game.
 
In the top of the 10^th, Kai Gray tripled in Miguel Padron to restore the MBU lead. He then came into score on Brown's bunt single.
 
After taking over pitching duties in the ninth, Elliot Veisauydra was sent back out for the 10^th and worked around a two-out hit by pitch with a 6-4 fielder's choice to complete the win.
 
Winning Pitcher: Elliot Veisauyadra (2-0)
Losing Pitcher: N. Couch (0-2)
 
Batting Leaders
Griffin Brown: 4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI
Carlos Hidalgo: 4-for-6, 2B, R
Kai Gray: 3-for-5, 3B, 2 R, RBI
 
Record:
No. 12 Missouri Baptist: 8-2
(RV) Cumberland: 7-7
 
What's Next?
The Spartans end the series in Lebanon, Tenn., with a noon start against the Phoenix. Watch live on the Cumberland Sports Network and follow along with live stats here.
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