The Missouri Valley College baseball team let the first game of its home doubleheader Saturday get away, but not the second one as it split with Heart of America Conference rival Benedictine.

Winning the nightcap didn't prevent the Vikings from falling out of the NAIA Region V rankings, having gone into the day at No. 5 -- not yet accounting for Thursday's rain-shortened 5-1, five-inning non-conference loss at William Woods. The Ravens (4-2, 3-1 HAAC) moved up a spot to sixth in the poll.

Valley took a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning of the opener, junior Steven Montijo getting an RBI single in the second and doubles by senior Kyle Eley and junior Kevin Challoner kicking off a two-run sixth -- what was hoped to be an insurance run scoring on junior Ricardo LeClaire's squeeze bunt.

Benedictine canceled the policy in the seventh when a walk and error provided an opening with one out. Singles by senior Evan Fox and sophomore Brian Moore tying the game and a balk putting the Ravens in front.

Back-to-back doubles by junior Tim Embree and Eley evened the contest, but the Vikings stranded two runners. Sophomore Luke Cronin ended the stalemate with a two-out solo homer in the eighth and Valley wasn't able to get junior José Molina past first base following his one-out single during the final frame.

The Vikings put up two runs in the first inning of the nightcap, Embree beginning the rally with a double and senior Russell McGinnis ending it with a run-scoring single.

Valley tacked on four more runs in the fourth, two coming in on senior Jesse Murphy's single and a wild throw on a grounder allowing the last two runners to cross.

Junior Jeff McClafferty's double and a single by sophomore Alex Thompson closed the margin to 6-3 in the sixth, but junior right-hander Joaquin Lopez escaped the bases-loaded jam. Freshman Paul Wayne Thomas of Marshall tossed a scoreless seventh inning for his first college save.

Eley had four hits during the twinbill for the Vikings (6-12, 1-3), who avoided going 0-4 in league play. Valley's scheduled game today at Missouri Baptist has been postponed, so up next will be a HAAC date Wednesday at William Jewell.