Joplin, Mo. -- Missouri Southern senior first basemen Tee Helsel singled home Jon Davis and Payton Walker went the distance as the Lions came-from-behind to win 3-2 in extra innings to salvage a split against visiting Central Missouri this afternoon. Southern fell 7-6 in game one. 

The Lions (17-3, 9-2 MIAA) picked up a complete-game win from Walker in game two as he moved his season record to 5-0 and his ERA to 1.75. He went all eight innings, striking out ten, walking three and allowing no earned runs. 

Neither team scored in the first four innings as UCM (12-11, 8-7 MIAA) starter Jake Heissler held the Lions at bay. 

The Mules picked up a pair of runs in the top half of the fifth, but the Lions answered back with a run in their half of the inning on Jacob Bryant's first home run of the season. 

Richie Gorskie added a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh, his fourth of the year, to tie the game and force extras. 

Walker sent the side down in order in the top of the eighth with a pair of strikeouts. Davis singled to start the bottom of the eighth and he moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt from Chris Hoffman. Helsel then took the first pitch he saw into right field and Davis beat the throw from right to win the game. 

Bryant had two hits and a homer, while Davis, Hoffman, Helsel and Axel Johnson had a hit each. 

In game one, the Mules got to Lions' starter Hoffman early, scoring four runs in the first two innings. Southern answered back with a run in the bottom of the first when Hoffman singled home Chad Shannon. 

The Lions added two more runs in the second, but it could have been three. Chad Shannon had hit a three run home run to right center, but he inadvertently passed Matt Smith on the basepaths, forcing an out and limiting the home run to just two runs. 

Kyle McCulloch entered the game in the third and allowed three runs, two earned, but settled down and held the Mules scoreless the final four innings. 

The Lions added a pair of runs in the fourth on a two-RBI single from Davis and added another run in the sixth on a Hoffman RBI. The Lions threatened in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs, but couldn't complete the comeback. 

Shannon went 2-4 with two runs and two RBIs, while Davis and Hoffman had a pair of hits and RBIs each. Johnson scored twice, Evin Natick once, while Brett Graham and Smith had a hit each. 

The two teams will get together and play the series finale tomorrow with a single, nine-inning game at noon.