Maryville, Mo. - The Southern baseball team was back on the road Thursday afternoon, playing game one of their three game series with Northwest Missouri. The back and forth contest needed extra innings to decide the winner, and the hosts scored the winning run in the bottom of the eleventh to win it 6-5. With the loss, MSSU moves to 27-7 (14-4 MIAA) on the year.
Drew Townsend wasted no time getting the offense going, getting a leadoff hit to right-center.
Henry Kusiak then walked and
Will Doherty singled to right, loading the bases. Northwest Missouri was able to get an out on a fielder's choice, but
Wyatt Morgan picked up an RBI in the process and gave MSSU a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Bearcats pieced a couple of hits together to even things at 1-1.
After quiet second and third innings, Missouri Southern scored three in the fourth.
Ethan Clark kicked things off with an inning opening double. A bunt single by
Treghan Parker put runners on first and third, then
Nate Mieszkowski recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly to right.
Garrett Rice extended MSSU's lead to 4-1, launching a two-run home run.
Again, the Bearcats evened the score, but the Lions took a 5-4 lead with a two out rally in the fifth.
Wyatt Morgan singled to keep the inning alive, then
Ethan Clark walked to move Morgan into scoring position. An RBI single from
Treghan Parker gave Southern the lead once again.
The hosts managed to plate a run in the eighth inning, tying things once again. Neither team would score in the ninth, sending the contest into extra innings. Northwest managed to get runners to first and second with just one out in the tenth, but the Lions forced things into the eleventh. In the bottom of the eleventh,
Henry Kusiak got a ground ball and threw home for the out, but the Bearcats would score later in the inning to win it 6-5.
Treghan Parker recorded 3 hits on the day, driving in 1, scoring another himself, and drawing a walk as well.
Garrett Rice picked up 2 RBI on a two-run home run, and
Ethan Clark went 1-2 with a double, run scored, and 3 walks.
The second game of this series will be played on Friday, March 29. First pitch for that contest is scheduled for 2:00pm.
