From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Missouri Southern rallied for five runs in the seventh inning to beat Missouri Western 5-4 Sunday in the opening game of an MIAA baseball doubleheader at Phil Welch Stadium.
The Lions made it a sweep by taking the nine-inning second game 9-4.
Southern and Western wrap up their rain-delayed weekend series with another doubleheader today, starting at noon.
Western led 3-0 through six innings of the opener and starter Blake Thomas was working on a one-hitter.
Southern catcher Joe Lincoln led off the seventh with a solo homer. First baseman Shayne Hoke followed with a single and designated hitter Michael Zurmehly walked, ending Thomas’ day.
Right fielder Patrick Deao reached on an error by reliever Dominic Marchesi, loading the bases. Second baseman Vince Pironti drove in the Lions’ second run with a groundout and left fielder Zach Caldwell lined an RBI double to make it a 3-3 game.
After third baseman Skyler Rawlins walked, center fielder C.J. Matthews drew another pass to force home the tying run.
Shortstop Jacob Taylor, the ninth hitter in the inning, drove in the final Southern run with a fielder’s choice grounder. The run proved decisive when Western scored a single run in the bottom of the seventh.
Senior right-hander Garrett Groom went the distance for his first victory in four decisions. He allowed 11 hits and just two earned runs, walking one and striking out five.
Hoke and Caldwell had two hits each for Southern. Designated hitter Isaac Rome had a double and a pair of solo homers for Western.
The Lions took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the second game when Matthews drew a two-out walk, stole second base and scored on Taylor’s hit.
Southern broke the game open with a five-run sixth inning. Zurmehly hit a two-run homer and Caldwell added a two-run single.
Lance Carter was the winner, working 7 1/3 innings and giving up 10 hits and four runs. Carter, who blanked Western for six innings, struck out two and did not issue a walk.
Hoke had three hits for the Lions and finished the day 5-for-8, raising his average 53 points to .279.
Zurmehly, who added a sacrifice fly, drove in three runs. matthews and Taylor had two hits each.
Ian Atkinson and Billy Waldman had three hits each for Western.
The Lions improved to 5-14 overall and 3-9 in the MIAA. The Griffons are 7-6, 4-6.
