Pittsburg, Kan. – The eighth-ranked Missouri Southern baseball team suffered a pair of heartbreaking last at bat losses today at Pittsburg State, falling 3-2 in extra innings in game one and 4-3 in game two.
 
The Lions (24-9, 17-9 MIAA) got a strong start in the opener from Zach Parish as he went seven innings and allowed just four hits and one run, while striking out nine. Logan VanWey went two innings and gave up an unearned run in the ninth while striking out five. Cole Woods and Scott Duensing threw the final three innings of the game.
 
Jordan Fitzpatrick went 3-for-5 in the game, while Tommy Stevenson had a pair of hits. Troy Gagan, Henry Kusiak, Ryan Hunter, Joe Kinder and Matt Miller had a hit each. Kinder and Stevenson had the team's RBIs.
 
Southern got on the board first when Stevenson doubled home Gagan to give the Lions a 1-0 lead after three. The Gorillas 21-11, 16-10 MIAA) tied it in the fifth, but Kinder singled home Stevenson to give the Lions a 2-1 lead.
 
PSU got a run in the ninth to tie it up and the Gorillas got an RBI double in the 13^th to win the game.
 
Game two saw Will Bausinger start and go six and third, striking out six and allowing just two earned runs. Duensing threw the final two innings of relief.
 
Pitt Got on the board in the third with an unearned run before Kinder homered to right field to tie it up in the fourth. The Gorillas went ahead 2-1 after six, but the Lions picked up a pair of runs in the seventh on RBI doubles from Miller and Fitzpatrick to go back up 3-2.
 
The Gorillas tied it in the seventh and got a walk-off home run in the ninth to win the game.
 
Gagan was 3-for-4 in the game, while Dexter Swims had a pair of hits and a run scored. Miller had an RBI and a run scored, while Kinder and Fitzpatrick had an RBI each.
 
The two teams will finish the series tomorrow afternoon with a single nine-inning game starting at 1 pm.