The Missouri Valley College baseball team wasn't about to let a little snow delay what it hoped would be a recovery from its anemic offensive showing the previous weekend at Lindenwood.

The Vikings manhandled a pitching staff from visiting Ashford (Iowa), which entered the three-game set with a horrific 10.66 earned-run average, to sweep the series. Valley won each non-conference game by 10 runs, 13-3 and 11-1 on Saturday and 12-2 Sunday.

A seven-run second inning proved the Saints' undoing in the opener, senior Kyle Eley and sophomore Stephen Summers each stroking two-run homers -- Eley's 14th of the season, tops in the Heart of America Conference. A grand slam by junior Nate Combs was the big blow of the five-run fifth.

Ashford came alive in the seventh when junior Brian Cummings hit a two-run shot, but it wasn't off starter Andy Jones -- the junior right-hander allowing only two hits in six innings.

The Vikings put up eight runs in the fourth inning to end the nightcap early. Combs got the rally going with a one-out solo blast. Senior Richard Knutz smacked a two-run double and seniors Russell McGinnis and junior Kevin Challoner followed with RBI singles in support of junior lefty Kevin Ricketts -- who tossed a four-hitter, striking out six in five innings.

Valley banged out 14 hits Sunday, three in the five-run fourth. Eley's double and a single by Summers plated runs. Junior Tim Embree doubled to lead off the fifth, coming in on Eley's single. A bases-loaded walk later in the frame made it 8-1.

The Vikings finished off the game with three runs in the eighth. Ricketts doubled and was on base when Combs hit his third homer of the series.

Stephen Summers ended the contest on the "10-run rule" by doubling in junior Tommy Summers, no relation, of Sweet Springs.

Ashford (2-31) has now dropped 30 of its last 31 games.

Valley (21-18) will be in Fulton on Tuesday to make up a rained-out game against William Woods.