JOPLIN, Mo. — The No. 21 Missouri Southern baseball team got within one run of the Pittsburg State Gorillas, but PSU scored four runs in the ninth inning to put away the Lions 9-4 today on Warren Tuner Field.
The Lions (29-16, 20-9 MIAA) got a three run home run from Denver Coffee in the game that got the Lions on the board and tied the game in the fifth. Coffee drove in three and scored a run, while Mike Million and Alex Phillips had two hits each in the game. Freddie Landers, Dexter Swims, and Jon Leighton scored, while Leighton added an RBI.
Will Bausinger started and went five and two thirds, striking out eight but fell to 5-3 on the season. Joey Reeves, Brennon Covington, Logan VanWey, Cam Bednar and River Wright threw in relief.
Pitt (25-18, 17-12 MIAA) Got two RBIs each from Caleb Cox, Ty Herrenbruck and Tyler Pittman. Brad Kinsey got the win, while Tanner Lane picked up his tenth save of the year.
Pitt led 3-0 before Coffee’s three-run homer in the fifth tied it up. Pittman then added a two-run triple to put the Gorillas up 5-3, before a home run from Leighton got the Lions within a run (5-4) after six.
The Gorillas, however, scored four runs in the ninth to put the game away.