JOPLIN, Mo. — The Missouri Southern baseball team scored five runs in the first three innings en route to an 8-4 win over Missouri S&T today on Warren Turner Field.
The Lions (12-5) got a solid start from Cole Gacke who went five innings and struck out eight, while allowing just three hits and one run to move his record to 1-0 on the season. Bradly Hershey threw two innings of relief, while Brennon Covington and River Wright had an inning each.
Offensively, Denver Coffee led the charge with a 2-for-5 day at the plate, driving in three and scoring once as he added hs second home run of the season. Richard Fullerton went 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored, while Troy Gagan and Jon Leighton had two hits each and Leighton driving in a run. Mike Million nad Dexter Swims each had a hit and a run scored with Swims driving in a run, too. Alex Phillips and Ryan Hunter scored, while Freddie Landers drove in a run, as well.
Missouri S&T (6-4) had three hits from Matt Gruse in the game.
The Lions opened up the scoring in the first when Swims drove in Mike Million with an RBI single. Jon Leighton followed that up with an RBI single through the left side to score Swims to put the Lions up 2-0 after one.
Coffee had a two-RBI single in the second to score Fullerton and Hunter and the Lions went up 5-0 oin the third when Phillips scored on a throwing error from the second basemen.
The Miners added a run in the fifth, but Southern had home runs from Fullerton and Coffee in the sixth to go back up 7-1. S&T added a run in the seventh and a pair in the eighth, while the Lions had a sacrifice fly from Landers.
The Lions will be back in action this weekend as Southern hosts Washburn in a three-game set on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. First-pitch on Friday is slated for 5 pm.
