EMPORIA, Kan. — Matt Miller drove in five and the 11th-ranked Missouri Southern baseball team run-ruled Emporia State today 12-1 to clinch its fifth MIAA series victory of the year.
Southern (23-7, 14-3 MIAA) got a huge day at the plate from Miller as the freshman went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, five RBIs and two runs scored. Denver Coffee went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, three doubles and a run scored, while Dexter Swims went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Freddie Landers and Alex Phillips had two hits each, while both had a run scored and Phillips drove in one. Ryan Hunter went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while Mike Million had a hit, a run scored and an RBI. Troy Gagan had a hit, a pair of runs and an RBI.
Zac Shoemaker went all seven as he struck out six and allowed just two hits to move him to 3-2 on the season.
ESU (17-11, 11-6 MIAA) had a hit each from Brian Grove and Alex Pener.
Gagan started the scoring with an RBI double in the first to score Swims. The Lions added four runs in the third on an RBI double from Coffee to score Swims and a three-run homer from Miller, going up 5-0 after three innings.
Coffee added another RBI double in the fourth to start the scoring in the inning, while Miller doubled to score Coffee and Swims. Million had an RBI single to score Gagan, Phillips doubled home Miller and Hunter added a sacrifice fly to score Million as the Lions scored six in the fourth inning.
ESU picked up there only run in the fifth and the Lions added another run in the sixth with Phillips scoring.
The three doubles for Coffee are one off the single-game record for the Lions and it was the first time since 2017 (Richie Gorski) the Lions had a player with three doubles in a game as Gorski had four that game.
