Kansas City, Kan. -- The 15th ranked Missouri Southern baseball team was one out away from the MIAA Championship, but a walk-off home run from Emporia State lifted the Hornets over the Lions 10-9 in the MIAA Tournament. 

The win for ESU (39-14) forces a winner-take-all game tomorrow between the Hornets and the Lions (40-12) at 1 pm inside CommunityAmerica Ballpark. 

Southern got on the board first when Jesse Rall singled home Richie Gorski to put the Lions up 1-0. Emporia scored two runs on a wild pitch to go up 2-1, but the Lions answered right back when Chad Shannon and Gorski had RBI singles in the fourth. 

Another RBI single from Shannon in the sixth put the Lions up 4-2 after six. Empoira picked up three runs in the seventh to go up 5-4, but the Lions scored four runs in the top of the eighth to go up 8-5. Jon Davis had a sacrifice fly to tie the game and Jacob Bryant walked with the bases loaded for the go-ahead run. Evin Natick then singled to right field to drive in two. 

ESU scored a run in their half of the eighth to cut the lead to two, but the Lions answered right back with another Davis RBI single to score Johnson. 

The Hornets got a run on an RBI single from Aaron Gile, but Dean Long provided the final blast when he homered to left for three RBIs and the game-winner. 

Johnson went 3-3 in the game with two runs scored, while Shannon went 3-3 with two RBIs. Gorski went 3-6 with two runs and an RBI, while Davis drove in two. Natick had two RBIs and a run scored, while Chris Hoffman and Rall had a pair of hits each. 

Hoffman started and went six and two thirds in the start and struck out two while allowing just one earned run. Nick Pettus threw an inning and two thirds in relief and Tyler Burgess was saddled with the loss to move to 6-2 on the season. 

The two teams will play for the trophy tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 pm.