The Missouri Southern baseball team split a pair of games on getaway day as the Lions took the opener against Central Oklahoma 12-5, but dropped the finale 11-6 in extra innings to the Bronchos today at Warren Turner Field.
The Lions (15-3, 9-3 MIAA) outscored UCO (8-6, 5-4 MIAA) 6-1 over he final six innings to claim the opener. Will Bausinger started the game and went seven and two thirds, striking out six to move his record to 4-1 on te Year. Cole Woods threw a third of an inning, while Scott Duensing threw the ninth.
Southern scored a run in the first on an RBI single from Tommy Stevenson. After the Bronchos had scored two in the top of the second, the Lions plated three runs in the bottom half of the inning on a three-run bomb from Dexter Swims to re-take the lead.
UCO added two more in the third to tie the game, but the Lions broke it open in the fourth. After a double from Brad Willis, Matt Miller tripled to left center to score Willis. Joe Kinder was hit by a pitch and Jordan Fitzpatrick singled through the right side to score Miller. Troy Gagan singled home Kinder for the final run of the inning.
UCO added a single run in the eighth before the Lions exploded for five runs in the bottom half of the inning. Kinder had an RBI single before Fitzpatrick capped the scoring with a grand slam.
Fitzpatrick went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and five RBIs. Swims drove in three and went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Miller and Kinder scored twice, while Willis crossed the plate three times.
The Bronchos led 5-0 in game two heading to the bottom of the fourth before the Lions picked up three runs to get back into it. RBIs from Swims and Milas highlighted the inning.
After UCO scored in the sixth, the Lions added another run in the eighth to get within two on an RBI double from Grant Harris. Gagan homered to lead off the ninth and an RBI from Milas tied the game and forced extra-innings.
The Bronchos, however, scored five runs in the tenth to seal the game.
Gagan went 3-for-5 in the game with a home run, while Milas drove in a pair and scored once. Kinder and Swims had a pair of hits each.
Chase Beiter started and went three and a third innings, and Corey Cowan struck out five in two and two thirds of relief.
Southern will be back in action next weekend as the Lions travel to Hays, Kan. to take on Fort Hays State. The Lions and Tigers will have a single game on Friday with a doubleheader on Saturday.
