Graham drives in six as MSSU baseball downs Washburn 13-10

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern baseball team scored 11 runs over the first three innings and Brett Graham had six RBIs as the Lions defeated visiting Washburn 13-10 at Warren Turner Field tonight.

Southern (18-10, 10-4 MIAA) wins its sixth game in a row as the Lions got home runs from Graham, Tyler Sutherland and Todd Hinkley. Graham went 4-5 at the plate with six RBIs and two runs scored. Sutherland was 2-5 with a pair of RBIs and runs scored, while Hinkley was 2-2 with three runs scored and two RBIs to go with a pair of walks. Richie Gorski and Alec Alvarez had two hits each, while Gorski scored twice.

The Lions got a solid pitching effort from Seth Mesey. After going down 5-0 after the first inning, he settled down and went six and two thirds of an inning, striking out four and walking two to get the win and move to 2-1 on the season. Colin Chandler threw an inning and two thirds, striking out two, while Cody Smith threw the ninth to pick up save number three of the season.

Washburn (15-10, 7-7 MIAA) fot four hits from Riley Krane as he drove in three and scored three times, as well.

Washburn scored five in the first with the big blast coming in the form of a grand slam from Tanner Triggs.

The Lions answered back, however, with Graham's three-run blast in the bottom of the first to make the score 5-3. After Washburn added two more in the top of the second, the Lions scored five in the bottom half of the inning. A bases-clearing double from Graham highlighted the inning the saw RBIs from Gorski and Dave Prost, as well.

Sutherland's homer in the third scored two and Hinkley added an unearned run to put the Lions up 11-7 after three.

Washburn added a run in the fourth and another in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to two (11-9), but Hinkley's two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning, put the game away. The Ichabods added a run in the eighth, but it wasn't enough.

The two teams will be back at it tomorrow afternoon with first-pitch scheduled for 1 pm.