Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern baseball team got a complete-game shutout from Payton Walker and the 22nd ranked Lions defeated the 19th ranked Emporia State Hornets, 5-0 today at Warren Turner Field. 

Southern (12-4, 4-4 MIAA) got a gem from its senior lefty as Walker went all nine, striking out seven and walking just two. He scattered five hits in the game where just two batters got past second and only four got past first. 

Jackson Cain and Matt Smith both went 3-for-4 in the game as Richie Gorski added two hits, a run and an RBI. Brett Graham had a home run as he went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Jacob Bryant and Chris Hoffman had a hit each. Jesse Rall had an RBI and three walks. 

Emporia State (14-4, 7-1 MIAA) had a 2-for-4 performance from Wade Hanna. 

The Lions got on the board in the fourth when Graham started the scoring with his home run to left center. Hayden Steele scored on an RBI double from Gorski. 

Southern scored two more in the fifth on RBI singles from Cain and Smith. Rall added a sacrifice fly, scoring Gorski in the sixth for the Lions' final run. 

Walker moved his record to 4-1 in the season, while Matt Slauter moved to 3-1 for the Hornets. 

The two teams will be back in action tomorrow afternoon in the series finale. First pitch is slated for 1 pm.