ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western baseball team received, arguably, its best pitching performance of the season to pick up its seventh straight win and 17th in the last 20 games, 11-2 over Lindenwood, Friday night.

Richard Peoples went a career-high eight innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed just one hit to move to 5-2 on the season. Peoples didn’t allow a hit until a leadoff single in the sixth and gave up his only two runs on a miscommunicated error in the sixth. With runners on second and third, Peoples turned toward second for a pickoff attempt but no one was there to cover and the ball went into center field, scoring two. He would hold Lindenwood without a hit for two more innings before Tyler Tuepker pitched a scoreless ninth. It was Tuepker’s first appearance since missing nearly all the 2015 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Peoples got plenty of help from his offense as the Griffons totaled 11 runs on 10 hits. Nick Gawley went 3-4 with three RBIs. Kody Matthews was 2-3 with two driven in.

Missouri Western improved to 21-8 on the season and 13-5 in MIAA play. The two teams are scheduled to play the second game of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.

— MWSU Press Release —