Joplin, Mo. - Returning to Warren Turner Field Saturday afternoon, the Missouri Southern baseball team took on Northwest Missouri in game two of their best of three series to open the MIAA Baseball Championships. After winning game one on Friday, the Lions took the series with a 10-4 victory in game two. They will play the winner of the Pittsburg State/Rogers State series on Thursday, May 9 at 5:00pm.

The first three innings of the contest were quiet and quick, but the visitors struck first with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Drew Townsend led off with a double to right, then later came around to score on a Will Doherty single. With two on, Garrett Rice hit a double to right-center that brought home both runs, making it a 3-3 ball game. Nate Mieszkowski gave the Lions the lead with a deep sacrifice fly to right, then Treghan Parker added another with a single to center, 5-3 Missouri Southern. 

Picking up where they left off, Drew Townsend led off the sixth inning with a home run to right. Henry Kusiak then hit a single and Will Doherty followed with a double. Both would then score thanks to another Garrett Rice two-run double. 

Northwest Missouri scored one more in the seventh and threatened more, but the Lions got out of the jam with just the one run coming home. Garrett Rice recorded his fifth hit of the day in the eighth inning, and later came around to score on a Nate Mieszkowski base hit. With two outs in the inning, Drew Davis hit a double down the left field line to score Mieszkowski and make it a 10-4 Lion lead. Southern got all three outs in order in the ninth, ending the ball game. 

Garrett Rice was a perfect 5-5 on the day, driving in 4 runs on 3 doubles, scoring 2 as well. Drew Townsend was 3-5 with 2 doubles and a home run, responsible for 2 runs scored also. Nate Mieszkowski had 2 RBI in the win, going 2-4 at the plate. Henry Kusiak broke another record in the contest, setting the MIAA record for most career at-bats. Keaton Anderson was credited with the win, giving up 6 hits over 5.0 innings. He improves his record to 4-0 on the season. 

Missouri Southern advances to the next round of the MIAA Tournament, scheduled to play the winner of the Pittsburg State/Rogers State series. That contest will take place on Thursday, May 9 with first pitch scheduled for 5:00pm in Pittsburg, Kansas. 

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