Bolivar, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern baseball team led 4-2 going into the bottom of the eighth, but a three-run inning lifted Southwest Baptist over the Lions 5-4 today in Bolivar. 

The Lions (25-16, 19-14 MIAA) scored two runs in the fifth and a run in each of the sixth and eighth innings. 

Brett Abell started the game for the Lions and went seven and a third, striking out seven and allowing four earned runs. David Reese and Bo Bergen pitched in relief. 

The game was scoreless going into the fifth, before the Lions plated two runs in the inning. Thomas Wilson singled to start the inning and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Nick Doughty. Shaun Hoover singled to put runners at first and second and Zack Steadman added an infield single to load the bases for Dallas Burke. Burke responded with a two-run single to score both Wilson and Doughty. 

The Bearcats (19-21, 17-15) scored a pair of runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game before Southern went back ahead with a run in the sixth when Will Wagner homered to start the inning. 

The Lions added another run in the eighth to go up 4-2 when Tee Helsel scored on a wild pitch. 

SBU would score three runs in the bottom of the inning to put the game away. 

Steadman went 3-4 in the game, while Burke was 2-4 with a pair of RBIs. Helsel and Wilson had a pair of hits each, while Wagner added a home run and Hoover scored a run of his own. 

The teams will finish off the series with a double-header tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm.