O'FALLON, Missouri - On a windy day at CarShield Field in O'Fallon, Missouri, the Lyon College Scots' batters hit six home runs, six doubles, scored 35 runs on 36 hits and won their first two games of the American Midwest Conference tournament on Tuesday.

The Scots (19-23) will play the top-seeded Missouri Baptist Spartans at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. 

However, that scenario almost didn't play out.

In the play-in first game of the tournament against the Harris-Stowe State University Hornets, Lyon College gave up six runs in the top of the first inning on four walks, a three-run double and a two-run homer. 
Logan Lightner got a run back for the Scots in the bottom of the first when he hit a solo home run to right field. Austin Shipman singled to center and Bradley McLemore singled, but both were left stranded on base.
Lyon College picked up two more runs in the bottom of the second inning when Shipman singled to center again and scored Garrett Graef, who had been hit by a pitch. McLemore singled in Lightner and Shipman to make it 6-3.
After the Hornets added a run in the top of the third, Zane Wallace hit a solo homer to right center field. Derek Underwood followed with a double to right-center and Graef homered to left-center to cut the lead to one, 7-6.
In the bottom of the fourth for Lyon College, Shipman led off with a single to left, McLemore got a base hit to left and Jayden Cull reached first on an error by the Hornets third baseman that loaded the bases. With one out, Wallace was hit by a pitch to bring in pinch-runner Brayden Anderson, then Underwood was hit by a pitch and McLemore scored. Graef hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Cull and give the Scots a 9-7 lead.
Harris-Stowe scored a run in the top of the fifth inning, but Lyon College answered with four runs to go up by seven. Lightner started off with a walk, Shipman walked and McLemore reached on an error that scored Lightner. Cull singled to left field to bring in Anderson, who was pinch-running for Shipman and with two outs, Underwood singled to right center to bring in McLemore and Cull for a 13-8 Scots' lead.
Harris-Stowe got another run in the top of the sixth inning and closed the lead to one run with three runs in the top of the seventh, 13-12.
Cull and Lane McLevain singled in the bottom of the seventh for Lyon College, but both were left stranded. And in the bottom of the eighth, Kyle Carver, Lightner and Shipman walked to load the bases, but a pop-up and an out at the plate and a strikeout ended the inning with the Scots still leading by one run.
The Hornets took the lead in the top of the ninth inning 14-13, but the Scots started with a ground out and a wild-pitch strike out that allowed Wallace to get to first base. He stole second and Underwood was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Thomas Lingren walked to load the bases, then Wallace scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Lightner walked and re-loaded the bases that set up a pitching change for the Hornets. Shipman was hit by a pitch and Underwood scored the winning run from third.
Cameron Gordon started the game on the mound for the Scots and threw 2.2 innings, gave up seven runs, walked six and struck out one. Ayden Heitmann pitched the next six innings and gave up 12 hits and seven runs, then Lightner threw for one out in the top of the ninth and picked up the victory.

The second game that started at 4:07 p.m. on Monday afternoon was against the Williams Baptist Eagles, who had closed out the regular season with a three-game series at Lyon College.
The Scots were ready and Lightner led off with a double to left-center field. McLemore hit a one-out sacrifice fly to center field that brought in Lightner for a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Williams Baptist came back to score six runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 6-1 lead on the Scots. 
In the top of the third, though, Carver blasted a solo homer to the trees past the center field wall to make it 6-2. Shipman and McLemore both singled with two outs, but didn't score.
Lyon College came back to retake the lead in the top of the fourth inning when Wallace reached first on an error with one out. Graef doubled to center field and scored Wallace. Carver doubled in Graef and Anderson singled to right field to move Carver to third. Lightner followed with a base hit to left field to bring in Carver and with two outs, McLemore hit a three-run homer. Cull singled to left field just before the inning ended with the Scots leading 8-6.
Wallace started the top of the fifth for Lyon College with a bunt single. Graef followed with a double down the l left field line and Carver singled to left-center to bring in Wallace. Anderson reached on a fielder's choice that saw Carver slide in safely at home. Shipman hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Anderson and McLemore walked. Cull singled to left field and Lightner scored on the play. McLevain brought in McLemore with a sacrifice fly to right field to make it a 14-6 Scots lead.
Williams Baptist added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Lyon College answered with three more of its own. 
Graef got a lead-off walk and Carver hit another homerun to the trees over the center field wall. Anderson walked, Lightner doubled and Shipman hit a sacrifice fly to score Anderson for a 17-7 Scots advantage.
The Eagles cut the lead to 17-11, but the Scots answered with two runs. Carver reached on a fielder's choice where McLevain scored and Anderson grounded into a double-play, but Wallace scored to make it 19-11. 
In the top of the eighth, McLevain singled in Shipman for a 20-11 advantage. But the Eagles scored three more times in the bottom of the eighth and threatened again in the ninth, but didn't score anymore. 
The Scots had 21 hits in the game. Lightner was 3-for-7 with three runs scored and two runs batted in, Shipman was 1-for-4 with a run scored and two runs batted in, McLemore was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs, Cull was 2-for-6 with an RBI, McLevain was 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs, Wallace was 2-for-5 with three runs scored, Graef was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI, Carver was 4-for-6 with four runs scored and six runs batted in and Anderson went 1-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI.
Carver had two home runs in the game and McLemore had one. Lightner and Graef doubled twice and Carver had a double. Shipman had two sacrifice flies, while McLemore and McLevain both had sacrifices. Shipman was hit by a pitch.
On the mound, Beau Smith started the game and went 1.1 innings, giving up four hits and six runs with one walk and three strike outs. Nick Chaney came in to go 4.1 innings and allowed seven hits five runs, walked two and struck out two. Calvin Hedgepeth pitched 1.1. innings and allowed two hits and three runs with two walks and a strikeout. Rhett Crafton came in to pitch for an inning and allowed two hits and walked one batter. Lightner closed out the game by pitching the final inning and not allowing a hit or run and struck out one batter.

The Scots entered the tournament with a team batting average of .238, which was last in the AMC.