Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern Baseball team went down 3-0 in the second inning, but the Lions stormed back and scored 18 runs over the next six innings to run-rule visiting Southwest Baptist, 18-8 Friday night at Joe Becker Stadium.
Playing at historic Joe Becker for the first time since the 2014 season, the Lions (23-14, 11-12 MIAA) were led offensively by a host of players as everyone in the lineup had some sort of offensive statistic.
Johnny Balsamo went 2-for-2 with three runs and three RBIs, walking three times, and added home run number six of the season.
Denver Coffee was 3-for-3 with five runs scored and one RBI, while
Mike Million went 2-for-5 with four driven in and a run scored.
Easton Fortuna had three RBIs and two runs scored, while
Richard Fullerton went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
Alex Wheeler scored three runs, while
Alex Phillips drove in two and scored once.
Garan Stevens had an RBI, while
Cory Canterbury had a run and an RBI and
Danny Biggs had an RBI in his only at-bat.
Corbin Osburn started and went five and a third, striking out five and moved his record to 4-2 on the year with the win.
Logan VanWey was brilliant in relief, going one and two thirds hitless with four strikeouts.
After SBU (13-24, 7-17 MIAA) had scored three in the top of the second, the Lions answered back with seven in the bottom half of the inning, sending 11 batters to the plate.
Mike Million had the big hit in the inning with a bases-clearing double.
SBU got another run in the top of the third, but the Lions scored three in the bottom half of the inning, highlighted by a two-run blast from Balsamo.
The Bearcats scored another run in the fourth to make it 10-5, but the Lions answered with RBIs from Coffee and Stevens in the inning. SBU then added three more in the fifth to get with in four (12-8), but the Lions added a run in the fifth, two in the sixth and three in the seventh to force the run rule.
The two teams will be back at it tomorrow afternoon. First pitch from Warren Turner Field is slated for 1 pm.
