Senior Russell McGinnis had five hits and drove in three runs Saturday as the Vikings completed a four-game sweep of Evangel. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge]

SPRINGFIELD -- The Missouri Valley College baseball team worked its way further up the Heart of America Conference standings, getting strong pitching on Friday and devastating hitting Saturday to win both sets of doubleheaders at Evangel.

Junior right-hander Andy Jones allowed only six hits in the opener, a 3-2 victory in which the Vikings scored all of their runs in the top of the third inning. The rally began with a two-out single by junior José Molina, followed by an error. Senior Richard Knutz doubled in both runners and scored on senior Kyle Eley's double.

A pair of walks loaded the bases, but Valley stranded the runners. It could have come back to haunt the visitors, but Jones limited the Crusaders to solo runs in the fifth and sixth innings to preserve the win.

Evangel didn't get even that much in the nightcap against junior righty Joaquin Lopez, who tossed a three-hit shutout -- striking out six -- during the Vikings' 5-0 win.

Senior Russell McGinnis had the only hit of Valley's two-run second inning, his one-out single followed by two walks to load the bases. A hit batter and fielder's choice forced in the runs.

Junior Steven Montijo's single led off the Vikings' three-run fourth -- all of the runs coming in on Knutz's double to left-center field.

Valley won the first game on Saturday, 9-3, coming back from a 2-1 deficit by scoring six straight runs. Junior Jake Unger knocked in two runs and scored on freshman Ryan Rector's single in the fourth.

Eley smashed a two-run double and was plated by McGinnis' single to make it 7-2 in the fifth.

Junior southpaw Kevin Ricketts didn't become flustered by an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth and Valley tacked on two more runs in the seventh on Eley's second homer of the game -- he hit a solo shot in the first -- and league-leading 13th of the season.

The Vikings came from behind again in the finale, a 13-4 romp.

Singles by Eley and junior Kevin Challoner tied the score and put Valley ahead during the four-run third inning. Unger followed with a two-run double.

Knutz scored on a sacrifice fly and McGinnis singled in the second run of the fourth frame. Sophomore Stephen Summers doubled and crossed the plate on a grounder and junior Justin Stone knocked in a run with a single in the fifth.

The Vikings added four runs in the seventh, Eley's two-run double the key blow.

Evangel (15-14, 5-9 HAAC) saw its losing streak extend to seven games.

Valley (17-15, 11-5) has won eight in a row, momentum it will try to take into next weekend's four-game series at Lindenwood, ranked fifth in NAIA Region V.