Pittsburg, Kan. -- The Missouri Southern baseball team got five solid innings of relief from
Kyle McCulloch and a 4-for-5 performance from
Brett Graham as the Lions came-from-behind to defeat Pittsburg State 10-9 tonight in Pittsburg.
The Lions (25-11, 15-10 MIAA) were led offensively by Graham's performance that saw the junior drive in four, while scoring twice. He had four doubles, tying a Missouri Southern record for doubles in a game, previously held by Wayne Wente against Southwest Baptist in 1994.
Tyler Sutherland went 2-for-3 with a home run, two driven in and three runs scored, while
Jesse Rall drove in a run and scored twice.
Jacob Bryant and
Richie Gorski had a hit and a run scored each, while
Chris Hoffman went 2-for-5 with an RBI. Hayden Steel had a hit and an RBI.
Hoffman started, but went just two innings, while McCulloch threw five innings of relief to move to 2-0 on the season. He scattered five hits but held the Gorillas scoreless for the final four innings of his appearance.
Payton Walker threw the eighth and the ninth to pick up his first save of the year.
PSU (9-25, 4-21 MIAA) received three hits each from Chase Kilgore and Andrew Vogelbaugh.
Southern struck first with a run in the opening frame when Rall reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Bryant.
The Gorillas, however, would score seven runs over the first three innings to lead 7-1 after three.
The Lions answered back with three runs in the fourth and had runners at second and third after a Gorski double. Sutherland scored on a wild pitch and Gorski scored on a double from Graham. Graham would move to third on a wild pitch and score on another wild pitch for the third run of the inning.
The Gorillas threatened in the sixth, but Sutherland threw a laser to the plate to cut down a PSU runner to end the inning. Southern scored three more in the seventh and Sutherland started things with a homer to right to make the score 7-5. Rall was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a ground out. Graham then added his third double, this time scoring Rall to make the score 7-6 and would later score on an RBI single from Steele.
Southern added three more in the eighth, started off by a bunt single from Hoffman that he advance to second on with a throwing error by the third basemen. Sutherland then tripled to left center to score Hoffman and Rall was intentionally walked. Gaham then came up and doubled down the right field line, clearing the bases to give the Lions a 10-7 lead.
Walker came in to throw the eighth and ninth and the Gorillas scored a run each inning, but the lefty struck out a Gorilla looking to end the game.
The Lions will be back in action this weekend, playing a three-game set at Central Missouri.
