Joplin, Mo. -- The 15th ranked Missouri Southern baseball team punched its ticket to Kansas City tonight as Payton Walker threw a complete-game gem and the Lions took out visiting Northeastern State 6-1 to win the first-round series two games to none at Turner Field. 

Southern (38-11) picked up its second-straight complete game of the tournament as Walker went the distance tonight. He struck out ten and scattered five hits, while allowing just one run to move his record to 8-2 on the season. 

Walker also moved up the MSSU record books in the game. He now has 19 wins in his career and that moves him into a tie for fourth place all-time in MSSU history. His 183 strikeouts rank him fifth all-time, while his 32 games started rank eighth all-time. 

The Lions got the scoring started in the first as back-to-back doubles from Chris Hoffman and Jesse Rall gave the Lions their first run with Hoffman scoring on Rall's double. A single from Jacob Bryant pushed home Rall to give the Lions a 2-0 lead after one. 

Southern got another two runs in the second when Richie Gorski hit his seventh home run of the season driving home Tee Helsel in the process. 

The Lions added an unearned run in the fifth and Northeastern State (25-24) scored its lone run in the top of the sixth. Evin Natick scored the game's final run in the eighth. 

NSU starter Ryan Helsley went six and two thirds, striking out seven, but was saddled with the loss, falling to 7-4 on the season. 

Hoffman went 2-3 with two runs scored, while Bryant was 2-3 with an RBI. Gorski drove in two, while Rall added an RBI and a run scored. 

The Lions will now face-off with fifth seed Washburn University as the Ichabods swept fourth seed Missouri Western in their first round series. That game will start at 11 am on Thursday, May 7 and will be played at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.