Joplin, Mo. -- The 24th ranked Missouri Southern baseball team let a win slip away today as the Lions fell 5-2 to visiting Drury at Joe Becker Stadium.

Southern (11-1) received an excellent pitching performance from David Reese in the hard-luck loss. He allowed just six hits in eight and a third innings, throwing 96 pitches and striking out five. All five of the runs were unearned. 

Drury (6-3) got on the board first with two runs in the second inning, but the Lions answered back with a run in each of the third and fifth innings to tie the game at 2 after five. Tee Helsel had an RBI single in the third, while Michael McCoy had an run scoring single in the fifth. 

Southern had a chance to go ahead in the seventh, but a baserunning error led to two different runners getting out in two separate run downs.

Drury then took advantage of two Lions' errors in the eighth to score three unearned runs for the difference in the game. 

Helsel went 2-4 with an RBI, while six other Lions had a hit each. Luke Acosta and Thomas Wilson scored the runs for Southern. 

The Lions will be back in action this Friday, playing host to Fort Hays State in the start of a four-game series at Joe Becker Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6 pm.