Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern baseball team swept both ends of a double-header today, taking game one 8-7 against Truman State in 11 innings then completing the sweep with a 14-9 win in game two over the Bulldogs.
Southern (6-5) got a walk-off home run from
Jordan Fitzpatrick in the opener as he hit two homers in the game. Fitzpatrick went 2-for-4 in the game with four RBIs and two runs scored. His first home run was an inside-the-park shot to center, while his game winner was to right-center.
Nate Mieszkowski and
Ryan Doran had two hits and a run scored each, while
Tyler Ferguson scored twice.
Tommy Stevenson had a homer, while
Matt Miller had a homer of his own.
Treghan Parker added a hit, as well.
Chase Beiter started and went five and two thirds with four strikeouts while
Cale McCallister,
Jeremiah Kennedy,
Scott Duensing,
Ryan Paschal and
Cole Gayman thew in relief. Gayman got the win to move to 2-1 on the season.
Truman had four players with two hits each, led by a home run from Simon Murray.
Both teams got a run in the first, before Truman went ahead 2-1 in the fourth. The Lions got two in the fifth to go up 3-2, but the Bulldogs picked up three runs to lead 5-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth. Southern got a run in the sixth and another in the seventh to force extra innings.
Both teams scored in the eighth and the Bulldogs picked up a run in the top of the 11
th, before Fitpatrick's heroics in the 11
th.
Game two saw the two teams each score a run in the first before Truman scored five in the second and a run in the third to lead 7-1 heading into the bottom of the third.
The Lions answered back with seven runs in the bottom half of the inning. Fitzpatrick doubled home
Drew Davis, before Milas cleared the bases with a double to the wall. Parker then homered to right to score Stevenson and give the Lions an 8-7 lead.
Truman scored two more in the fourth, before the Lions added another on a home run from Mieszkowski to tie it at nine after four innings. The Lions then added two in the fifth and three in the sixth to put the game away.
Stevenson went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a run scored, while Milas was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Fitzpatrick had two hits, two runs and two RBIs, while Parker added two RBIs. Doran and Mieszkowski scored a pair of runs each, while Miller drove in a run and scored twice.
Jacob Davis started and went two and a third, before Kennedy threw another two and a third in relief behind him. McCallister finished the final two and a third, striking out three to move to 1-0 on the season.
The Lions will conclude the MIAA/GLVC Crossover tomorrow afternoon with a 1 pm game against Illinois-Springfield.
