The Missouri Western baseball team had 18 extra base hits with six being home runs as they completed the series sweep against the Lincoln Blue Tigers. The Griffons won game one 11-1 behind 17 hits and came from behind in game two winning 16-9 scattering 19 hits. The Griffons improve to 24-4 overall and 19-1 in MIAA play.
Game 1
MWSU 11, LU 1
The Griffons scored runs in all seven innings in game one and got a strong pitching performance from Banks Born picking up the 11-1 victory. Born improved to 3-0 going five innings giving up just three hits while striking out two in five innings of work.
Offensively the Griffons had 17 hits with Michael Schulze and Spencer Shockley each getting three. The Griffons got two runs with two outs in the first. Kyle Simpson got hit by a pitch and later scored on a Nate Ramler single and a Blue Tiger error. Shockley then doubled in Ramler.
In the second the Griffons once again scored runs with two outs. Jake Schrader doubled and later scored on a Schulze two out double to left center. Bubba Dotson followed that up hitting his seventh homer of the season scoring Schulze giving MWSU the 5-0 lead after two.
In the third Grant Fink and Jimmy Smelcer hit back-to-back homers giving the Griffons the 7-0 lead. For Fink it was his team leading 11th while it was Smelcer’s 4th.
That would be all the Griffons would need as they scored four more runs in the 11-1 victory. Ramler, Smelcer and Jake Schrader all had two hits while Dotson had three RBI.
The Blue Tigers had five hits with Clint Cashen getting two. Scott Jones falls to 2-5 overall going six innings giving up 15 hits with nine earned runs.
Game 2
MWSU 16, LU 9
In game two the Griffons had to come from behind to get the 16-9 victory. Things started well for the Griffons in game two when Dotson hit his 8th homer of the season giving MWSU the 2-0 lead.
The Blue Tigers answered with four hits and three runs in the bottom of the first taking a 3-2 lead. In the top of the second MWSU got the scored tied up when Schrader got hit by a pitch and scored on a Schulze ground out to short stop.
Lincoln regained the lead scoring the next four runs taking a 7-3 lead into the fifth. The Griffons remained calm and exploded in the top of the 5th scoring eight runs on seven hits. Kyle Simpson had four RBI in the inning hitting his fourth homer of the season and then hit a two RBI single later in the inning. MWSU took an 11-7 lead after five.
The Blue Tigers kept battling back scoring two more in the seventh but MWSU got a run in the 8th and four in the 9th winning the third and final game of the series 16-9.
In the game MWSU had 19 hits with Fink getting four with two runs. Dotson, Ramler and Shockley all had three hits while Simpson had five RBI. Kyle Kelly picked up the victory going four innings giving up seven hits and four earned runs. Kelly improves to 2-1 overall.
Lincoln falls to 2-19 overall and 2-16 in MIAA play. The Blue Tigers had 15 hits with Colby Shepherd, Brad Wright, Jonathan Grishman and James Earlywine all getting three. Joe Jungmeyer went four innings in the no decision while Craig Jones falls to 0-1 going 2/3 of an inning giving up two hits and five earned runs.
The Griffons return to action on Tuesday, April 2 when they play a single nine inning non-conference game against the Southwest Baptist Bearcats. First pitch is set for 4:00 pm.
— MWSU Sports Information —