JOPLIN, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball team won two elimination games Saturday at the MIAA Tournament in Joplin to advance to the final four on Sunday.
The Griffons are now 32-19 after a 4-3 win over Northwest Missouri State and a 7-6 victory against Central Oklahoma.
Western will play a true semifinal game Sunday at 9:00 a.m. against Central Oklahoma again. The winner will advance to the MIAA Tournament championship game at 4:00 p.m. Sunday against the winner of the other semifinal between Missouri Southern and Lindenwood.
NOTABLES
Game One
– Alex Heuring pinch hit in the top of the eighth inning to deliver a two RBI triple with two outs to give MWSU the only lead it would need to eliminate the Bearcats
– Missouri Western scored on back-to-back singles in the top of the second inning to tie the game at 2-2 but could not do any further damage after leaving the bases loaded
– Heuring’s triple was the only extra base for the Griffons in the win
– Missouri Western has now eliminated Northwest Missouri from the MIAA Tournament for back-to-back years
Game Two
– Missouri Western scored three runs in the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead as Nick Gawley started the rally on a leadoff double
– Jeremy Alvarado and Levi Schreiner had back-to-back RBIs to put MWSU up 6-2
– David Glaude knocked his eighth home run of the season in the eighth inning to give the Griffons a 7-4 lead
– Missouri Western had 10 hits in the win, the first time it has recorded 10 hits in this season’s MIAA tournament
– The first four batters for MWSU combined for seven hits and six runs scored
TOP PERFORMERS
Game One
– Logan Marston was 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI and run scored
– Nate Hunter went 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs with five strikeouts
– Richard Peoples picked up the six out save for the Griffons
Game Two
– Nick Gawley was 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored
– Levi Schreiner went for 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs
– Dustin Agnew pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts in his seventh win of the season
— MWSU Athletics —