Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern baseball team took both ends of a double-header today as the Lions beat Illinois Springfield 8-5 and Maryville 7-5 today at Warren Turner Field.
In game one, the Lions (7-2) used a four-run fourth inning that saw three different home runs hit to take out the Prairie Stars (0-3).
The Lions scored a run in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from
Easton Fortuna down the right field line scoring
Alec Alvarez. After UIS scored two in the second and a run in the third to go up 3-1, Southern scored a run in the third on a home run from
Mike Million to left field.
The Lions then added four more runs in the fourth on home runs from
Alex Wheeler,
Jordan Barba, and Alvarez. The Lions added two more runs in the fifth on a double from
Johnny Balsamo to the left field wall scoring Million and
Jon Leighton.
Will Bausinger started and went four and two thirds of an inning, striking out four and allowing three earned runs.
Zac Shoemaker threw three and a third, striking out three and walking none, to pick up the win and move his record to 1-1 on the season.
Logan VanWey pitched the ninth and struck out the side to earn his first save of the year. VanWey has struck out seven batters on the season, all seven outs he's recorded.
Offensively, Million, Alvarez, Wheeler and Barba all had home runs. Balsamo and Wheeler drove in two, while Alvarez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Million also scored a pair of runs himself.
In game two, the Lions went up 1-0 after two innings, scoring a run on a bases-loaded walk to
Evan Cheng to score Million.
UIS scored a pair of runs in the third to go up 2-1, but the Lions answered back with four runs in the bottom of the third. Fortuna singled to start the inning and
Alex Phillips doubled to left center over the wall putting runners at the corners. Million doubled down the left field line to score both runners and Balsamo then doubled home Million. Balsamo later scored an unearned run.
Southern scored two more runs in the fourth on a two-run triple from Leighton, scoring both Philips and Million.
Leighton had a triple in the game an Phillips, Million and Balsamo all doubled. Leighton went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Million went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Phillips scored twice, while Balsamo and Cheng had RBIs each.
Joey Reeves started and went four and a third, striking out six.
Jared Flores threw two and two thirds scoreless, striking out a batter and picking up his first win of the year.
Cam Bednar threw the eighth and
Brennon Covington threw the ninth to get the save, his first.
The Lions will be back in action next weekend with a pair of double-headers on Saturday and Sunday against Truman State. Both days will begin at 1 pm.
