ST. CHARLES -- The Missouri Valley College baseball team headed to Lindenwood on Saturday riding an eight-game win streak and hoping to overtake the Heart of America Conference East Division leader.

The Vikings left St. Charles the next day with three losses in the four-game series, scoring only four runs and dropping into third place in the standings behind Culver-Stockton -- which took three of four from Central Methodist. Worse, Valley remains unranked in NAIA Region V, which could have a severe impact on its post-season aspirations.

The Lions' pitching was overwhelming, limiting the visitors to nine hits during the first three games -- including a three-hitter by junior Don Anderson while winning the opener, 7-2.

Lindenwood scored three runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a 7-0 lead. The Lions got RBI singles from juniors Sean Cunningham and Mike Parson in the third and a two-run single by Cunningham in the fourth.

The Vikings' only runs came in the sixth, both crossing on junior Kevin Challoner's single.

Valley's lone win came in Saturday's nightcap, a 1-0 three-hit shutout by junior southpaw Kevin Ricketts. A sacrifice fly by junior José Molina following junior Jake Unger's single in the fifth was all Ricketts needed.

The Lions paid back the whitewash Sunday when senior Anthony Clark fired a two-hitter for a 3-0 victory. Junior Joaquin Lopez blanked Lindenwood (21-16, 14-4 HAAC) until the bottom of the fifth, when two walks turned into a pair of runs without a hit. Senior Chris Getz doubled and scored in the sixth for insurance.

Junior Mark Koski surrendered nine hits to the Vikings in the finale, one of then a solo homer by Unger, but was helped by a pair of double plays and enough offense to record a 6-1 decision.

Valley committed five errors, allowing three unearned runs to score, and took the lead in the second on junior Chris Torres' double. Torres had an RBI double in the fourth, coming in on Parson's two-bagger, and junior Mark Ruiz singled in the Lions' last run in the fifth.

The Vikings' top three in the line-up with a combined six of 33 during the series. Valley (18-18, 12-8) was scheduled to host McKendree (Ill.) today, but rain has wiped out those games. Next up for MVC will be three home games Friday and Saturday against Ashford (Iowa).