Warrensburg, Mo. - For the third time in as many days, the Missouri Southern baseball team met up with Central Missouri for the deciding game three of the last regular season series. The #2 ranked Mules rallied late to overcome their deficit, taking the contest by a score of 5-2 and the series 2-1. Missouri Southern ends the regular season with a record of 37-13 (24-9 MIAA), securing the two seed for the MIAA tournament.
The Mules put some offense together early on, taking a 1-0 lead after the first frame of play. Things were quiet through the third inning, then
Drew Townsend led off the fourth inning with a home run to right field, his third of the series.
Central Missouri moved a runner to third in the bottom of the fourth, but Missouri Southern escaped the threat with a line out and a ground out. With one out in the sixth,
Chayton Beck hit a double down the left field line. After the second out was recorded,
Ethan Clark put one through the left side to score Beck, giving the Lions a 2-1 lead.
Keaton Anderson had a perfect sixth, seventh, and eighth, retiring all nine Mules in order. After a UCM leadoff walk in the ninth, that runner moved to third following a sacrifice bunt and a ground out. Then, a hard and awkward hit right back to the pitcher allowed the batter to reach first, and the tying run to score. Central Missouri followed with a home run, ending the contest 5-2 in their favor.
Ethan Clark went 2-4 on the day, driving in one of Southern's two runs on the day.
Drew Townsend recorded his third home run of the series, launching a solo shot in the fourth inning.
Chayton Beck was 1-2 with a double, scoring a run and drawing a walk as well.
Keaton Anderson tossed 8.0 innings, striking out 4 batters in the process. He gave up 2 runs on 4 hits, surrendering just 1 walk.
As the two seed, the Lions will play host to the seven seed for the first round of the MIAA Tournament. The official bracket for the tournament will be announced on Monday, following the conclusion of all other baseball contests around the MIAA. That best-of-three series will be played Friday-Sunday, May 3-5, at Warren Turner Field. Game times will be 3:00pm, 1:00pm, and 1:00pm.
