Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Bolivar, Mo. - The Southwest Baptist University baseball team put up 22 runs on Saturday afternoon in a double-header sweep over Lincoln. The Bearcats claimed game one 12-8 while finishing off game two with a 10-8 victory. With the two wins, SBU improves to 9-13 (6-10 MIAA) on the season.

In game one of the double-header Lincoln jumped out to a three run lead after the first half inning of play. The Bearcats answered right back in the bottom of the first with four runs to take a 4-3 advantage. SBU put runners on second and third with one out when Spencer Blacksher singled to center field, scoring both runners, as SBU cut the deficit down to 3-2. After an infield single by Cory Canterbury, Zach Snodgrass singled home two runners to give SBU a 4-3 lead.

After a 1-2-3 inning by Lincoln, the Bearcats extended their lead in the bottom of the second. Christian Binger reached on a walk, followed by a Blacksher double down the right field line to take a 5-3 lead. Jake Vore then hit a two-run homerun to right field to give the Bearcats a 7-3 lead. LU responded with a pair of runs in the third before Blacksher hit an rbi sacrifice fly in the fourth to put SBU up 8-5.

The Bearcats bats kept rolling in the bottom of the fifth where SBU added four runs to their lead. The Bearcats scored their first run of the inning on a double steal by Seth Ell and Snodgrass, and after a Zach Pirrello walk, Chance Wolfe tripled to right center field to plate both runners. Ross Wolfe then had an rbi groundout to give SBU a 12-5 lead. LU scored three runs in the sixth, but the Bearcats would cruise to a 12-8 game one victory. Logan Johnson picked up the victory for the Bearcats, throwing 4.0 innings of relief while allowing one earned run.

In game two the Bearcats continued their strong offensive day by jumping out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning of play. Chance Wolfe led the game off with a single through the left side, and two batters later Ross Wolfe singled him home to put SBU up 1-0. Blacksher then blasted a two-run homerun to left center to give SBU a 3-0 lead. After LU responded with two runs in the top of the second, the Bearcats plated two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Snodgrass led the inning off with a single, stole second, and would come around to score on a Chance Wolfe double down the left field line. Christian Binger then hit a double to right field, scoring Wolfe, and giving SBU a 5-2 lead.

However, the Blue Tigers continued to hang around, tying the game up at 5-5 in the third, and taking a 7-5 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth Tim Gurnow led the inning off with a walk, and came home on a two-run homerun from Chance Wolfe to tie the game up at 7-7. Lincoln re-took the lead in the sixth, but once again SBU responded in the bottom half of the inning when Trevor Bowling came home on a LU error, making the score even at 8-8.

The Bearcats took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh, once again using an LU error to score when Snodgrass came home to put SBU up 9-8. SBU added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Jake Vore singled home Ross Wolfe to give SBU a 10-8 lead, as the Bearcats would go on to claim the game by that score. Tim Collins picked up the victory out of the bullpen, pitching 5.1 innings while allowing one run and only one hit in the win.

SBU will return to action on Friday, March 27 when they travel to Emporia State to begin a four-game series. Opening pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. from Emporia, Kansas.