JOPLIN, Mo. — The Missouri Southern baseball team split its home opener today, winning game one 10-0, but falling 3-2 in the finale to Northwestern Oklahoma State on Warren Turner Field.
Game one saw the Lions (3-2) jump out to an early 5-0 lead over NWOSU (5-1) after three innings. Back-to-back doubles from Mike Million and Denver Coffee scored million in the second and Cole McBride singled home Coffee for the second run of the inning. The Lions scored three more in the third, all with two outs. Calem Nutting singled home a pair of runs and Joe Kinder picked up an RBI of his own in the inning.
Southern scored two more runs in the fourth on RBIs from Alex Phillips and Million, while the Lions picked up three RBIs in the sixth on a bases-clearing double from Nutting.
Nutting finished the day with two hits and five RBIs. Dexter Swims and Phillips had two hits each, while Swims added three runs. Davin Gummere, Phillips and Million scored twice.
Zach Parrish started and went the distance for the complete-game shutout. He struck out eight and walked none, while scattering five hits.
Game two saw the Lions get a single run in each of the second and third innings, but the Rangers came-from-behind with runs in the fourth, fifth and the sixth to win.
The Lions got a run in the first when Coffee scored on a wild pitch, while Coffee picked up a sacrifice fly, scoring Swims in the third.
Zac Shoemaker started and went 4.2 innings, striking out four and allowing only two hits. Brennon Covington, Austin DesRoche, Logan VanWey and Cam Bednar threw in relief, with DesRoche picking up the loss.
The two teams will be back at it tomorrow with a single, nine-inning game beginning at 1 pm.
