St. Joseph, Mo. -- The 29th ranked Missouri Southern baseball team split a double-header with No. 30 Missouri Western today, winning game one 2-1 in extra innings, but falling 2-0 in the nightcap. 

The Lions (21-5, 12-3 MIAA) got on top first in the opener when Mitchell Osburn singled home Tee Helsel for the games' first run. 

Both pitchers held the other team scoreless for most of the rest of the game before a bases-loaded walk for the Griffons (18-11, 12-7 MIAA) in the bottom of the seventh tied the game and forced extra innings. 

With two outs in the eighth, Jesse Rall homered to left field for the go-ahead run to seal the win for the Lions. 

Chris Hoffman went 2-4 in the game, while Jon Davis, Rall, Axel Johnson, Osburn and Jacob Bryant had a hit each. 

Cody Hutchinson went six and a third, allowing one earned run, striking out five and walking three. Nick Pettus threw two thirds of an inning and picked up the win moving his record to 2-1 on the season. Kyle McCulloch pitched a scoreless eighth to pick up save No. 3. 

Game two was a pitcher's duel as Lions' starter Payton Walker went six innings and allowed just one earned run, while striking out seven and walking two. He allowed only four hits and was saddled with his first loss of the year. 

Griffons' starter AJ Martinez went all seven, striking out six and allowing only three hits. 

Johnson, Matt Smith and Bryant had the Lions' hits. 

The two teams will play the series finale tomorrow afternoon, with a single, nine-inning game at 1 pm.