O'FALLON, Missouri - And then there were four.

Lyon College, Columbia College, Central Baptist College and Missouri Baptist University are the final four teams left to decide the American Midwest Conference baseball tournament at CarShield Field in O'Fallon, Missouri. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the Scots dropped a 22-3 decision to the No. 8 nationally ranked MBU Spartans in the first game of the day that gave Lyon College its first loss of the tournament. With Jesse McGonigal pitching seven and a third hitless innings, the Scots (20-24) defeated the William Woods Owls 5-2 in the late game to advance to play Central Baptist College at 1 p.m. on Thursday. The winner of that game plays the loser of Missouri Baptist and Columbia at 4 p.m.

In the Scots first game on Wednesday started promising after a Tuesday where they hit a season-high six home runs and scored 35 times. In the top of the first inning, Austin Shipman reached on an error with one out and Bradley McLemore was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch advanced both runners up a base, but a strike out ended the threat.
The Scots went down in order in the second inning, but managed to get a runner on in the top of the third when Logan Lightner reached on a fielder's choice after Brayden Anderson was hit by a pitch. 
Scots starting pitcher Ian Jackson shut out the Spartans in the first two innings, but in the bottom of the third, a double, single, two walks, an error, three singles in a row and a sacrifice fly put Lyon College down 7-0.
Jayden Cull and Garrett Graef were both hit by pitches in the top of the fourth inning, but were left stranded. MBU added four more runs to its total.
Brayden Graham singled to center field in the top of the fifth, but was left on first base.
MBU doubled it's total in runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
In the top of the sixth, Cull singled to left field, Lane McLevain walked, but a double-play ended the Scots half of the inning. 
Lyon College scored three times in the top of the seventh inning. Kyle Carver walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He moved over to third on a balk by the Spartans pitcher and Anderson walked. Ligthner reached on a fielder's choice that scored Carver, then Graham singled through the right side and Cull singled to left to score Lightner. McLevain got a base hit up the middle to score Graham and make it 22-3.

With one loss in the double-elimination tournament, the Scots faced the William Woods Owls in the last game of the day on Wednesday and won 5-2 to advance to the next round.
Lightner led off the game with a home run to right field for a 1-0 lead. With one out, McLemore tripled to center field and scored on a Cull single. With two outs, Zane Wallace doubled and went to third base on the throw home that got Cull tagged out at the plate.
Carver singled in the top of the second inning, but didn't advance. Meanwhile, McGonigal was pitching shut out baseball and sat down the Owls in order three straight times. 
Cull got a single for the Scots in the top of the fourth inning, but was left on base. In the top of the fifth, Carver singled and went to second on an errant throw and Lightner was intentionally walked with two outs, but both were left on base.
Wallace started the top of the seventh inning with a bunt-single. Graef hit a sacrifice grounder to move Wallace to second. Wallace went to third on a wild pitch and Carver was hit by a pitch. Anderson walked to load the bases and Lightner singled to right field to bring in Wallace. Shipman followed with a single to bring in Anderson and Carver before the inning ended. The Scots led 5-0.
William Woods was able to get two runs on the board in the bottom of the eighth inning on a 2-run homer, but reliever Derek Underwood shut down the Owls in the ninth, striking out the final batter to give the Scots the win.
McGonigal picked up the win for Lyon College. He pitched 7.1 innings and allowed three hits, two runs, walked seven and struck out one. Underwood came in to pitch the last 1.2 innings and allowed three hits and no runs. He struck out two of the eight Owls he faced.