Joplin, Mo. -- The 14th ranked Missouri Southern baseball team dropped both ends of a double-header today today at home to Emporia State, falling 12-6 in game one and 9-3 in game two. 

The Lions (13-4, 9-4 MIAA) went down early in game one as Emporia (10-6, 7-5 MIAA) used an eight-run second inning and led 11-2 after three innings. 

Southern scored two runs in the third after an RBI single from Robbe Ewing scored Tee Helsel. Dusty Harper then singled through the right side to score Axel Johnson. 

The Lions added two more runs in the fifth on another pair of RBIs from Ewing and Harper. Matt Smith homered to start the sixth inning and Ewing drove in his third run of the game in the inning scoring Logan Moon. 

Ryan Bates started for the Lions and took the loss, moving his season record to 2-1. Skylar Hill, Josh Engler and Ryan Spry threw in relief for the Lions. Ewing went 2-4 with a run and three RBIs, while Harper went 3-4 with a pair of RBIs. Helsel, Moon, Weller Ewing, Johnson and Smith scored runs. 

Game two started off to be a pitchers duel as Drew Noble and ESU starter Dakota McKaskie held each team scoreless threw three. The Hornets scored two runs in the fourth and the Lions answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth when Brandon Weller doubled home Johnson. 

Emporia added another run in the top of the fifth, but the Lions answered back with two in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at three. Weller and Ewing had RBIs in the inning. 

The Hornets scored three in the seventh, two in the eigth and one in the ninth to put the game away. 

Johnson went 2-4 with a pair of runs scored, while Weller drove in two of his own. Mitchell Osburn scored a run, while Ewing drove in one of his own. 

Noble started for the Lions and went six and a third, striking out three and allowing four earned. Stephen Vaughn threw the final 2.2 innings. 

The Lions will be back in action this weekend with a four-game series at Lindenwood.