EUTECTICS SWEEP #19-MISSOURI BAPTIST!!

CREVE COUER, MO – Barrett Lohman was brilliant for the second straight start, the Eutectics got a perfect throw when they needed it and then some late offense in game two powered UHSP to a doubleheader sweep of 19^th-ranked Missouri Baptist to open a weekend four-game series. Lohman threw a complete game in the opening 2-1 win and then Brandon Gibbs and Deklan Riggs provided the late fireworks in the second game, a 5-4 UHSP triumph. MBU has won 9 straight overall entering the day. Lohman shut down an offense that had been electric in their previous six conference games this season, outscoring their opponents a combined 84-6.

Lohman, the reigning AMC Pitcher of the Week, was fresh off a 15-strikeout performance last weekend against Harris-Stowe. The Spartans offense is a whole different animal though as it still features three First Team All-Conference players from a year ago in their lineup and Lohman navigated through six scoreless innings prior to a drama-filled seventh. The Eutectics took the lead scoring a pair in the third against Spartan starter, Sam Myers. Deklan Riggs led off the inning with a single and went to second on a passed ball. After a fly out and a strikeout, it did not look like the inning would amount to much. Brandon Gibbs singled to center to advance Riggs to third. Holden Campbell followed with an RBI single to right to put UHSP on top 1-0 and advanced Gibbs to third. Facing the next hitter, Myers threw wildly over to first to try and pick Campbell off allowing Gibbs to trot home and it was 2-0 UHSP after three.

As the game progressed to the seventh with UHSP still leading 2-0, all eyes were on Lohman. Jayden Orozco led off the inning with a solo homerun and Lucas Lefebvre doubled to left. After a sacrifice moved Lefebvre to third, the tying run was 90-feet away with one out. Marcus Graham was sent up to pinch hit and with Lohman over 100 pitches, sent a flyball to deep left. Matthew McDonald was able to camp under it and make a strong throw home with Lefebvre coming down the line. UHSP catcher Ethan Harrell took the throw, made a swipe tag at Lefebvre who was called out to end the game.

After the game, Lohman said, "It was probably the biggest win of our whole team since we started the program. That's a really good team out there that hits really well. We knew we had to be perfect and we were today." Lohman held that trio of All-AMC First Teamers in Blayne Yarger, Cole Robinson and Jakob Kouneski to a combined 2-for-9.

The victory gives the Eutectics their first-ever win over Missouri Baptist, the reigning AMC Tournament champions. Lohman threw 107 pitches, 77 of which were strikes, striking out ten, allowing the one lone run on five hits to improve to 3-2. Myers went the distance for MoBap and allowed two unearned runs on three hits, walking one and fanning eight.

In game two, Kyle Smith got the start for UHSP and gave up a one-out homerun to Yarger in the bottom of the first to put the Spartans on top. Kouneski added to it later in the inning with a line drive sacrifice fly to left that made it 2-0. Smith did a good job of regrouping and followed that up with three more scoreless innings.

It stayed 2-0 until the top of the fifth when Matthew McDonald led the inning off with a single and road home on the Brandon Gibbs homerun all off MBU starter, Landon Albers. Holden Campbell would single to chase Albers after four-and-two-thirds. He would allow two runs on five hits while fanning five. The Spartans reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Dominic Palma singled in a run and Yarger drove in another on a fielder's choice to put the Spartans back on top 4-2. Smith would give way to Gavin Long on the hill for UHSP after that as Smith yielded four runs on four hits while walking and fanning one.

In the sixth, the Eutectics tied it back up, scoring on a wild pitch and sac fly from Michael Morales to set up more seventh inning drama for the second straight game. Holden Campbell led off the seventh with an infield hit. Two batters later, he would score from second on an RBI single from Deklan Riggs as UHSP took their first lead of game two. Long would make it stick as he walked Yarger to lead off the home half of the inning, but James Jett lined out to center and Robinson hit into a game ending double-play.

Gavin Long picked up the win going the final three frames of scoreless ball. He walked four, allowed only one hit and struck out four. Elliott Veisauyadra went the final 1.2IP for MBU and took the loss giving up a run on a pair of hits.

UP NEXT:

The weekend series between UHSP (8-10, 5-5 AMC) and Missouri Baptist (11-5, 6-2 AMC) wraps up with another doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 12:00p. The Eutectics then step out of conference for a Tuesday twin bill at Westminster that begins at 3:00p before returning home next weekend to host Mission on Friday and Saturday.