ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Missouri Southern dropped both games of its Sunday doubleheader against Ouachita Baptist at Rab Rodgers Field, falling 8-4 in the opener before a 6-3 loss in the finale.
Game 1: Ouachita Baptist 8, Missouri Southern 4
Missouri Southern (2-2) struck first in the opening game when Brayden Luikart doubled to left-center and scored on a sacrifice fly by Will Doherty. Ouachita responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, using a pair of home runs to seize the momentum.
The Tigers added another solo home run in the third and finished with four long balls on the afternoon. Despite the early damage, the Lions' bullpen steadied the game. Kaylor Darnell delivered a scoreless inning of relief with a strikeout, and Keaton Anderson worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out three.
Missouri Southern mounted a three-run rally in the sixth inning, highlighted by doubles from Cy Darnell and Will Potter, an RBI single from Luikart, and a run-scoring groundout by Jacob Filip to trim the deficit to 8-4. The comeback attempt stalled, however, as Ouachita held on for the win.
Luikart paced the Lions with three hits and an RBI, while Cy Darnell recorded two hits and scored a run. Potter added a double and an RBI.
Game 2: Ouachita Baptist 6, Missouri Southern 3
In the nightcap, Missouri Southern (2-3) once again faced an early deficit as Ouachita pushed across three runs in the first inning. The Lions' pitching settled in after the opening frame, with Michael Mulhollon providing a strong effort out of the bullpen. Mulhollon tossed four innings, allowing just two earned runs while striking out five.
Kyle Kaempf closed the game with a scoreless inning, striking out three, as Missouri Southern kept pressure on offensively throughout the contest.
The Lions got on the board in the second inning when Ethan Clark doubled and later scored on a Cy Darnell RBI single. Will Potter launched a solo home run in the fifth, and Missouri Southern pulled within two runs again in the sixth when Clark scored on a Drew Vonderhaar RBI single. Ouachita answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to secure the 6-3 victory.
Clark finished with two hits, including a double, and scored twice, while Potter homered and drove in a run.
