JOPLIN, Mo. – The #21 Missouri Southern baseball team fell 9-7 in tightly contested game to (RV) Minnesota State-Mankato on Sunday, February 19. The Lions homered five times against the Mavericks' pitching staff. Nate Mieszkowski, Will Doherty, Matt Miller and Garrett Rice all homered and recorded multi-hit games. 

How It Happened

The Mavericks took an early lead, plating one run in the top of the first inning to grab a 1-0 lead. Missouri Southern immediately answered in the bottom of the first. Mieszkowski singled to lead off the bottom of the first.

Two batters later, Miller blasted a home run to deep right field to give the Lions the lead right back at 2-1. The home run was number 40 in the career for Miller. The senior outfielder/first basemen became just the second Lion in program history to hit 40 or more home runs. Miller sits just one home run shy of tying Jim Baranoski (1986-89) for most home runs in a career. Miller also moved into eighth all-time with 141 career RBI. 

Minnesota State answered with two runs of their own in the third to retake the lead at 3-2. 

An inning later, in the bottom of the fourth, Garrett Rice homered to tie the game back up at 3-3. Rice went 3-5 at the plate in Sunday's contest. 

The Mavericks answered by scoring one in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh to push the lead to 7-3. 

The potent offense of Missouri Southern proved they can battle its way back into any game with a pair of homers in the bottom of the seventh. Mieszkowski launched a two-run homer to cut the lead to 7-5. One batter later, Will Doherty homered to right center, his first as a Lion, to bring the score to 7-6. 

Minnesota State added a run in the eighth on an RBI single to extend its lead to 8-6. 

Tyler Ferguson belted the fifth home run of the day in the bottom of the eighth to bring the Lions within one. 

An RBI double gave the Mavericks a two-run advantage headed to the bottom of the ninth. 

Southern loaded the bases with one out in the ninth as they looked to tie or win the game. A fielders choice and a pop out ended the game and Minnesota State hung out to top the Lions. 

Notable Stats

Nate Mieskowski – 4-5, HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 R

Will Doherty – 2-5, HR (1)

Matt Miller – 3-5, HR (5), 2 RBI

Garrett Rice – 3-5, HR (3)

Tyler Ferguson – 1-4, HR (2)

Up Next

The Lions host the Drury Panthers on Tuesday, February 21 at 2 p.m.