Joplin, Mo. -- The 24th ranked Missouri Southern baseball team completed the series sweep with two wins today against visiting Fort Hays State as the Lions won game one 12-4 and game two 11-1. 

Southern (15-1, 8-0 MIAA) remains in first place all by themselves in the MIAA standings. The Lions pitching staff continues to sparkle as David Reese earned the win in game one and Ethan Stenger picked up the win in game two. 

Hays (2-10, 1-7 MIAA) scored first in the opener with a run in the top of the second, but the Lions answered back with two runs in each of the second, third and fourth innings, but broke the game open with six runs in the fifth. 

Sam Ryan went 2-4 in the game with two RBIs and three runs scored. Luke Acosta was 304 with four RBIs and two runs scored, while Dane Kolkmeyer had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored. Michael McCoy went 2-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Acosta picked up his first home run of the season in the game, while he, Kolkmeyer and Ryan all had doubles. 

Reese went six innings, striking out three and walking just one. He allowed one earned run. 

In game two, Stenger went all seven innings, striking out five and walking none, while allowing just one earned run. 

The Lions scored three runs in the first on an RBI double from MJ Sartin, and RBI singles from Jesse Kinzey and Cullen Baxter. Southern scored a run in the second and picked up another three in the fifth after a three-run home run from Sartin. McCoy picked up an RBI double in the sixth and the Lions invoked the run-rule in the seventh after a bases loaded walk and a two-run double from Ryan put Southern up 11-1. 

Sartin went 2-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. He added a home run and a double. Ryan went 2-4 with two RBIs, while McCoy was 2-4 with a pair of RBIs and runs scored. Kolkmeyer scored twice, while Kinzey and Baxter had a pair of hits each. Acosta had three runs scored. 

The Lions will be back in action next weekend with a four-game series at Missouri Western.