HAYS, Kan. – The Missouri Western baseball team (28-11, 20-8) did what it’s been doing and did what it hasn’t done in a doubleheader sweep at Fort Hays State on Friday. The two wins pushed Missouri Western into second place in the MIAA standings and gave the team a seven-game winning streak. The team also improved to 21-3 on the road.

Game 1: MWSU 13, Fort Hays State 2 (8 innings)

Five runs in the top of the eighth inning for the Griffons gave the team a run-rule win in the first of the twin-bill.

David Glaude started the five-run eighth with a two-RBI double, his second double of the game. Kody Matthews picked up two RBIs in the eighth with his record-tying fifth hit of the game. Matthews is one of a handful of Griffons to record five hits in a game, though no one has ever done more. He was 5-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored in the game. Cosimo Cannella went 3-5 with a pair of RBIs. Brandon Downs drove in four going 1-3 at the plate. His one hit was his sixth home run in his last five games.

Richard Peoples moved to 7-3 with the win. He went seven innings and held Fort Hays to the two runs on 10 hits.

Game 2: MWSU 2, Fort Hays State 1

For the first time in 2016, the team won a game without scoring four or more runs. Nick Gawley’s RBI single in the sixth proved to be the game winner and broke a 1-1 tie. Gawley’s two-out single up the middle scored Orenco Fisher.

The one-run lead was enough for Evan Jones and Preston Baiely, who combined to give the Griffons another solid pitching performance. Jones moved to 5-1 on the year allowing just three hits in seven innings of work. He struck out three and walked one. Bailey earned his third save of the year and also struck out the three and allowed one hit in two innings.

Missouri Western now returns home for four-straight beginning Tuesday night when Northwest Missouri State visits for a 7 p.m. first pitch.

— MWSU Athletics —