Two more home runs by senior Kyle Eley, giving him 16 this season, helped the Vikings take three of four games from Culver-Stockton. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge]

After the previous week's tough series at Heart of America Conference East Division leader Lindenwood, the Missouri Valley College baseball team needed a lift.

That it got by taking three of four games over the weekend at Osage Field against Culver-Stockton, allowing the Vikings to vault over the visitors in second place in the standings.

Valley led Saturday's opener throughout, winning 3-2. Solo home runs by juniors Kevin Challoner and Justin Stone and doubles by senior Kyle Eley and junior Steven Montijo gave the Vikings a 3-0 lead through four innings.

Senior Jaime Muñoz homered the lead off the fifth, with an RBI single by sophomore Kurt Kessler later in the frame narrowing the Wildcats' deficit to a lone run. However, junior right-hander Andy Jones got out of the jam with a strikeout and held Culver scoreless the next two frames to preserve the victory.

The 'Cats took an early lead in the nightcap, singles by juniors Cody Rieger and Chris Rinaudo and a balk plating a run in the first inning and Rieger hitting a solo shot in the third. Junior José Molina and Eley singled in runs in the bottom of the third to tie the score, but a double by sophomore Jonathan Maestas, junior Ryan Lamson's bunt single and an error produced three Culver runs in the sixth.

Rinaudo made it 6-2 in the top of the seventh with a homer, so that Eley's two-run dinger in the Vikings' half of the frame only tightened the final margin to 6-4, Culver.

A split on Sunday wouldn't have done the trick for Valley, which needed a sweep -- and got it.

The first win came easily enough, 8-3, thanks to a five-run third in which Eley smashed a two-run blast -- his league-leading 16th of the season -- and junior Nate Combs followed with a solo shot.

Senior Richard Knutz and sophomore Stephen Summers also homered for the Vikings in support of junior southpaw Kevin Ricketts, who allowed only one earned run in six innings.

Securing Valley's needed sweep was more difficult after the 'Cats jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third behind Rieger's RBI double and a two-run dinger by Rinaudo.

The Vikings chipped away. Junior Ricardo LeClaire, running for Knutz after a lead-off single, scored on an error and senior Russell McGinnis drove in a run with a double in the fourth. Valley tied the game in the fifth when Molina raced home on a wild pitch after beginning the stanza by drawing a walk.

Montijo started the sixth with a single and went to second on a bunt. Junior Jake Unger and Molina were plunked to load the bases with one out, with Knutz delivering a two-out, two-run single to break the tie. Junior Jacob Conroy held Culver (27-13, 16-12) hitless in the seventh to save the win for sophomore Cody Gardner.

The Vikings (21-19, 15-9) will host Bethel (Tenn.) for a non-conference doubleheader before Central Methodist visits Osage Field over the weekend for the last four-game series of the season.