Joplin, Mo. -- Matt Miller tied an MSSU single-game record with three home runs as the Lions took out visiting Rogers State 25-2 tonight on Warren Turner Field.
The Lions (19-12, 10-7 MIAA) had a huge day at the plate for Miller as he went 4-for-5 with three home runs, a double, eight RBIs and four runs scored. Miller tied a single-game MSSU record for home runs with three with Mark Baker (2-28-91 vs. Central State). The eight RBIs is tied for fourth-most in a single game, while the 25 runs Southern scored are the most since the Lions scored 29 against Newman last season.
Treghan Parker had two hits, a double, four RBIs and a run scored, while
Cole Robinson went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and four runs scored.
Henry Kusiak was 3-for-3 with a triple and four runs scored, while
Case Tucker scored three times and
Jordan Fitzpatrick,
Tommy Stevenson and
Chayton Beck scored twice. Fitzpatrick and
Ryan Doran drove in a pair each, while
Nate Mieszkowski had two hits, two runs and an RBI.
Cole Gayman started and went four innings, moving his record to 5-1 on the season after striking out four and scattering three hits.
Jeremiah Kennedy,
Chase Beiter,
Steen Lane and
Alex Baker threw in relief.
RSU (15-15, 9-8 MIAA) had three hits from Gavin Mestas and two from Joel Escalante.
The Lions opened the scoring with four in the first on RBIs from Doran and Parker and followed it with three more in the second on RBIs from Kusiak, Doran and Fitzpatrick. Mieskowski drove in Miller in the third, before the Lions exploded for 13 runs in the fourth.
Southern sent 18 batters to the plate in the fourth inning, highlighted by a pair of home runs and five RBIs in the inning for Miller.
RSU scored a pair in the top of the fifth but the Lions answered back with an RBI single from Robinson to score
Tyler Ferguson in the bottom half of the inning, before Miller hit his third homer of the game, this time a three-run blast, his 12th of the season.
The Lions will be back in action this weekend as Southern plays host to Fort Hays State on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weekend will mark the 50th Anniversary Celebration for the baseball program at MSSU.
