Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern baseball program picked up the MIAA series win over No. 5 Central Oklahoma on Saturday, Mar. 11th with a 5-4 walk-off victory at Warren Turner Field.
The Lions (15-6, 6-2 MIAA) were led by
Ethan Clark and
Will Doherty with both going 3-for-4 in the game and Doherty having two RBIs,
Cole Gayman pitched 5.0 innings and struck out six in a no decision as
Kyle Moore picked up his second win of the season with 4.0 innings in relief and struck out five.
Central Oklahoma (15-5, 5-3 MIAA) scored first with a three run first inning before adding a solo home run in the second to take an early 4-0 lead. Southern got on the board in the second inning following a two run homer by Doherty and an RBI single to center field by
Nate Mieszkowski to score
Drew Davis and make it a 4-3 game.
Both teams were kept off the scoreboard until the sixth inning with a
Chayton Beck homer to left field tying it up for the Lions 4-4. In the ninth inning UCO couldn't get a runner on base with two striking out and a flyout to give the Lions the opportunity to walk-off the game in the bottom half of the inning. Mieszkowksi got things started by capitalizing on a throwing error by the Bronchos short stop by getting to second base and following a pair of fielders choices to put runners on the corners, Clark delivered the walk-off hit with a single through the right side of the infield to claim the 5-4 win.
Southern has claimed the third MIAA series of the season with the win and will look to sweep the nationally ranked Bronchos tomorrow with first pitch set for 1:00pm from Warren Turner Field.Â
