MSSU Baseball defeats Washburn 4-1 in series opener

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

Topeka, Kan. - The 11th ranked Missouri Southern baseball program picked up a 4-1 series opening win over Washburn at Falley Field in a cold and snowy evening game on Friday, Mar. 17th.

The Lions (18-6, 9-2 MIAA) got a good showing from Cole Woods in his fourth win of the season with seven innings with no walks issued and six strikeouts, Kyle Moore picked up his second save of the season with two shutout innings. Nate Mieszkowski went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, Matt Miller hit a home run and drew a walk.

Washburn (16-9, 9-2 MIAA) had Casey Steard on the mound go the distance giving up six hits, four runs, three earned from 117 pitches.

Southern got off to a sizzling start as a first pitch double to left center by Mieszkowski was a sign of things to come as after five pitches by the Ichabods pitcher Mieszkowski had scored. Woods get out of an early jam in the first inning with a strikeout looking with a runner on third to ensure an early 1-0 lead for the Lions.

In the third inning Chayton Beck doubled down the right field line on the first pitch he saw and on a 3-1 count Mieszkowski singled up the middle to score Beck. Woods would make quick work in the bottom half of the inning with seven pitches thrown with a first pitch ground out and foul out paired with a strikeout looking making it a 2-0 lead for the Lions.

Neither team got on the scoreboard again until the sixth inning as a leadoff single by Mieszkowski to left field and a Kusiak single to center field allowed Mieszkowski to score for a 3-0 Lions lead. The seventh inning would see a towering home run to right field by Miller for his 45th in his career to claim sole possession of fourth in MIAA career ranks passing David Gauntt (Washburn, 2013-16) and Nathan Lipowicz (Central Missouri, 1997-2000), the homer was his 10th of the season to lead the MIAA this season.

Washburn got on the board in the bottom half of the seventh but a strikeout looking and Beck-to-Miller pick off ended the inning with the Lions up 4-1. Moore came in to finish the game and got three fly outs and ground outs to close a game that took an hour and forty two minutes to complete.

Game two of the series is currently scheduled for Saturday, but with frigid temperatures forecasted for tomorrow it may result in a double-header on Sunday. Announcement of game time and date will be posted on Twitter by the MSSU Baseball account @MSSUBaseball when a decision is finalized.