The Missouri Western baseball team advanced to the MIAA Championship game for the first time in school history with a 11-4 victory over the Pittsburg State Gorillas Friday.

With the victory the Griffons improve to 39-9 overall and will have to beat the Missouri Southern Lions twice on Saturday with the first game starting at 11:00 am from Community America Ballpark.

MWSU jumped all over the Gorillas scoring three runs in three of the first five innings. In the first Bubba Dotson and Grant Fink got RBI doubles while David Chew hit a sacrafice fly scoring Kyle Simpson.

In the third David Chew hit is fourth homer of the season giving Western the 6-0 lead. Chew scored three runs and had four RBI in the game. In the fifth inning the Griffons had four hits to score three runs which included a two RBI single by Shawn Egge giving the Griffons a 9-0 lead after five.

The Gorillas scored two runs in the sixth and two in the seventh cutting the Griffon lead to 9-4 after seven.

That be the closest Missouri Western would let Pitt State get as a Schulze double in the eighth gave the Griffons an 11-4 lead. Western pitching shut down the Gorillas the rest of the way advancing them to the title game.

Missouri Western had 14 hits in the contest with Fink going 4-for-4 with one run scored. Schulze had three hits while Spencer Shockley had two hits. Ethan Ward went all seven innings giving up 11 hits and four earned runs.

The Gorillas fall to 29-24 overall as they had 11 hits with Brad Foss going 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Cody Wren falls to 4-6 overall going 2.1 innings giving up six hits and six earned runs.

Saturday’s game against Missouri Southern will be broadcast on 680 KFEQ AM and on www.680kfeq.com.

— MWSU Sports Information —