JOPLIN, Mo. — The 10th-ranked Missouri Southern baseball team rode a solid start from Zach Parish and held on to defeat Northwest Missouri 7-6 tonight on Warren Turner Field.
The Lions (20-6, 11-2 MIAA) got another great start from Zach Parish as he moved his record to 5-0 on the year, going seven innings and striking out seven, while allowing just one earned run. Bradly Hershey, Cam Bednar and River Wright threw in relief with Wright picking up save number one of the year.
Southern had just three hits on the game, but made good on 13 walks and four hit batters in the game from Northwest pitchers to plate seven runs. Alex Phillips had a two-RBI single, while Troy Gagan and Jon Leighton both had the other hits in the game for the Lions. Denver Coffee, Freddie Landers, Mike Million, Calem Nutting and Leighton all had RBIs in the game. Dexter Swims, Gagan, Coffee, Landers, Nutting, Matt Miller and Leighton scored runs for the Lions.
The Bearcats (10-13, 6-7 MIAA) got two hits from Peter Carlson.
The Lions started the scoring in the fifth as Southern scored three runs without the aid of a hit. Coffee walked to force in Miller, while Landers was hit by a pitch to score Leighton. Million then walked to score Swims.
Northwest scored two runs to cut the score to 3-2 after six, but the Lions picked up four more runs in the seventh with Phillips’ 2-RBI single proving to be the game-winning runs. Nutting walked to force home Gagan for the first run of the seventh, while Leighton walked to force home Coffee before Phillips’ big it.
Northwest made a game of it in the ninth, but Wright came in to pick up the save and stop the comeback.
