Joplin, Mo. -- The 9th-ranked Missouri Southern baseball team fell 5-2 at home to 5th-ranked Central Missouri today in a pitchers duel at Warren Turner Field.
The Lions (18-4, 12-4 MIAA) got a strong outing from
Zach Parish as the lefty suffered a hard-luck loss going eight innings and striking out 13, while allowing just three hits and three runs.
Logan VanWey and
Cole Woods threw the ninth.
Central Missouri (19-3, 15-1 MIAA) starter Mason Green went six innings and exited in a tied game. Hunter Little, Chase Plymell and Evan Rathburn threw in relief. Plymell got the win to move to 3-0, while Rathburn picked up his sixth save of the year.
The Mules got on the board first with a home run from Erik Webb in the top of the first.
Southern answered, however, and scored two runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Lions got an RBI from
Tommy Stevenson on a sacrifice fly to score
Jordan Fitzpatrick. The Lions picked up another run on an RBI single from
Henry Kusiak to score
Troy Gagan.
Central go another home run from Scott Wolverton in the third to tie the game and the game remained tied until the ninth. The Mules scored three runs in the top of the inning and held the Lions in check in the bottom half.
Fitzpatrick, Gagan, Kusiak,
Dexter Swims and
Clay Milas had a hit each for the Lions.
The two teams will be back in action tomorrow afternoon with a double-header. First pitch from Warren Turner Field is set for 1 pm.
