MSSU baseball sets single game home run record, defeats Mo Western 21-8

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern baseball team set a new MSSU single-game record for home runs and the Lions completed the sweep of Missouri Western, defeating the Griffons 21-8 today at Warren Turner Field.

The Lions (16-10, 8-4 MIAA) broke the previous single-game record of five home runs that had been done three times, most recently against Southwest Baptist in 2015.

Brett Graham hit two of the seven home runs as he went 4-5 with four RBIs and four runs scored. Danny Biggs hit his first home run of the year and drove in four, while scoring twice and Trever Burkdoll hit a pinch-hit grand slam for his first of the year. Joe Paulino, Dave Prost and Richie Gorski all had a home run each in the game. Tyler Sutherland and Biggs had three hits each, while Sutherland and Paulino scored three times.

Zach Litchen started and went an inning and two thirds. Sean Goostree and Hayden Brauser pitched an inning each and Will Bausinger threw the final three and a third to pick up his second win of the year, moving his record to 2-2.

Western (11-11, 8-4 MIAA) was led by Bailey Zimmer with a 3-3 day at the plate.

Western was up 2-0 going into the bottom of the second inning when the Lions scored five runs. Alec Alvarez started it off with an RBI single, while Sutherland added an RBI double and Biggs homered, driving in three.

The Griffons scored three more in the third to tie it up, but a home run from Graham put the Lions back on top 6-5. After Western scored two in the top of the fourth to go back up 7-6, Southern answered with 12 runs in the fourth to lead 18-7. The Lions got three home runs in the inning, highlighted by Burkdoll's grand slam. Prost and Gorski hit back-to-back homers, as well.

Graham added a home run in the sixth to give the Lions a 21-7 lead, before Western added a home run in the seventh for the game's final tally.

The 21 runs for the Lions are the most since Southern scored 28 in 2014 against College of the Ozarks and it's the most in an MIAA game since Southern scored 20 against Missouri Western in 2015.

The Lions will be back in action this Tuesday as Southern travels to Central Oklahoma for a mid-week MIAA matchup. First-pitch is slated for 3 pm.