Joplin, Mo. -- Lindenwood utilized the long ball and a couple of big innings, and the No. 10 Missouri Southern baseball team lost 16-2 today in the team's MIAA opener at Warren Turner Field. 

Southern (8-1, 0-1 MIAA) starter Cody Hutchinson started and went five innings, striking out five and allowing six earned. Hunter Harrison, Sean Goostree, Trenton Moeller, Kyle McCulloch, Austin Aspegren, Austyn Gooch and Craig Larkin all threw in relief for the Lions. 

Jesse Rall went 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles and an RBI. Tyler Sutherland went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, knocking out his third home run of the season. Chris Hoffman had a hit and a run scored, while Matt Smith added a double. 

Lindenwood (6-2, 1-0 MIAA) scored four runs in the third on a pair of long balls, but the Lions answered back on an RBI double from Rall in the bottom of the third, scoring Hoffman. 

Lindenwood scored a single run each in the fourth and the fifth, but opened up the game with nine in the sixth. 

The Lions answered back with a Sutherland home run in the bottom of the sixth and Lindenwood answered with a run in the seventh. 

The two teams will be back in action tomorrow afternoon with game two. First pitch is slated for 1 pm.