Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern baseball team opened the 2024 MSSU Lion Classic on Friday, the start of the three-day, six team tournament that will feature nine games. In the final game of the day, the Lions took on the Mavericks of Minnesota State - Mankato, downing them 2-1. With the win, MSSU improves to 8-2 on the year.
MSU-Mankato made a threat in the first, getting runners to second and third, but a pair of strikeouts and a foul out got the Lions out of the jam. The Southern offense wasted no time, as
Drew Townsend led off with a single to right and
Henry Kusiak followed with a double to score him and take a 1-0 lead.
Cole Gayman retired another pair of Mavericks in the second via the strikeout, and kept the score 1-0 after three innings played. He struck out another in the top of the fourth, and forced a couple of ground balls to keep the Lions ahead. In the fifth inning, MSU-Mankato evened the score and was looking for more, but a 4-6-3 double play ended it there.
Playing small ball, the Mavericks attempted a safety squeeze bunt in the sixth but Gayman fielded the bunt and got the runner out at home to keep the score 1-1. In the bottom of the inning,
Will Doherty led off with a walk and later moved to second on a fielding error. A couple of batters later,
Garrett Rice drove him in on a single to right, giving the Lions a 2-1 lead.
Kyle Moore pitched the final 3.0 innings, striking out 5 batters in that time to end it with a Missouri Southern win.
Cole Gayman was credited with the win, going 6.0 innings with 7 strikeouts and just 1 walk.
Kyle Moore earned the save, not giving up a single hit or walk, striking out 5 batters in 3.0 innings. At the plate,
Drew Townsend went 2-3 with a run scored.
Henry Kusiak also picked up a couple of hits and an RBI, and
Garrett Rice recorded the team's other RBI.
The remaining schedule for the Classic has been adjusted due to cold weather. On Saturday, MSU-Mankato will play Illinois Springfield at 1:30pm and Northwest Missouri will take on Mary at 4:30pm. Sunday will now feature four contests, starting with MSSU and Lewis at 10:00am, Mary and Lewis at 1:00pm, Northwest Missouri and MSU-Mankato at 4:00pm, and MSSU and Illinois Springfield at 7:00pm.
