MSSU women defeat Pittsburg State to advance to Central Region Championship game

(From Missouri Southern Sports)

Duluth, Minn. - The 18th ranked Missouri Southern Lions beat rivals Pittsburg State 73-64 in the Central Region Semifinals on Saturday Mar. 11th in Romano Gymnasium to advance to the Central Region Championship game on Monday.

The Lions (29-6, 16-6 MIAA) were led by Lacy Stokes with 25 points going 9-for-11 from free throws, Kaitlin Hunnicutt had 12 points going 3-for-3 from deep and 3-for-4 from free throws, Layne Skiles had 11 points going 3-for-5 from three and had two blocks. Mia Topping lead the bench unit with 10 points going 4-for-6 from the field as Amaya Johns had a team-high eight rebounds.

Pittsburg State (23-8, 17-5) was led by Karenna Gerber who had a 25 points, 11 rebound double-double.

In the first quarter the Lions tied it up three times in the first three minutes before taking an 8-6 lead with 6:57 left after a Lacy Stokes layup. Pittsburg State responded with an 8-0 run to take a 14-8 lead and would hold onto the lead at the end of the quarter with an 18-12 advantage.

The Gorillas got an early eight point lead in the second quarter but an 7-0 run capped off by a Kryslyn Jones layup with 2:23 left in the half made it a one point game, 25-24. Jones would make the last basket of the half to make it a two point game, 28-26.

At the half Southern held the Gorillas to shooting 18.2 percent from three and 37.0 percent from the field, well below their season average coming into today of 34.0 percent from three and 44.8 percent from the field. Nine turnovers for Pittsburg State translated to nine Southern points in the half with the Lions also holding a 16-14 advantage on points in the paint.

Coming out of the half the Lions took a 31-30 lead with 9:11 left in the third quarter thanks to a Jones layup and-one. Pittsburg State responded with a 15-2 run for the largest lead of the game, 44-33 with 4:40 left following a pair of Gerber free throws.

In the fourth quarter the Lions came alive with an 10-0 run tying it up 57-57 with 6:19 left after back-to-back Hunnicutt threes. Hunnicutt would put the Lions ahead with 3:26 following a pair of free throws as a three by Skiles and an and-one layup by Lacy with 1:31 left made it 67-59.

The Gorillas would attempt a comeback with a made three pointer following the and-one by Lacy but the Lions roared out to a 6-2 run to end the game and the Gorillas season with a 73-64 victory.

For the second half the Lions shot 80.0 percent from three, 60.0 percent from the field and 81.3 percent from free throws. Defensively Southern limited the Gorillas to shooting 20.0 percent from three and 33.3 percent from the field.

Up next for the Lions will be a matchup against NSIC foe Minnesota - Duluth or Minnesota State - Mankato on Monday Mar. 13th from Romano Gymnasium with tip off set for 7:00pm.

This will be the third NCAA regional tournament championship appearance for the Lions in program history making it this far in the 1993 & 94 seasons.

The Missouri Southern women's basketball season is presented by People's Bank of Seneca, a proud supporter of Lion Athletics.

Clark walkoff single leads MSSU to 5-4 win over Central Oklahoma

(From Missouri Southern Sports)

The Missouri Southern baseball program picked up the MIAA series win over No. 5 Central Oklahoma on Saturday, Mar. 11th with a 5-4 walk-off victory at Warren Turner Field.

The Lions (15-6, 6-2 MIAA) were led by Ethan Clark and Will Doherty with both going 3-for-4 in the game and Doherty having two RBIs, Cole Gayman pitched 5.0 innings and struck out six in a no decision as Kyle Moore picked up his second win of the season with 4.0 innings in relief and struck out five.

Central Oklahoma (15-5, 5-3 MIAA) scored first with a three run first inning before adding a solo home run in the second to take an early 4-0 lead. Southern got on the board in the second inning following a two run homer by Doherty and an RBI single to center field by Nate Mieszkowski to score Drew Davis and make it a 4-3 game.

Both teams were kept off the scoreboard until the sixth inning with a Chayton Beck homer to left field tying it up for the Lions 4-4. In the ninth inning UCO couldn't get a runner on base with two striking out and a flyout to give the Lions the opportunity to walk-off the game in the bottom half of the inning.

Mieszkowksi got things started by capitalizing on a throwing error by the Bronchos short stop by getting to second base and following a pair of fielders choices to put runners on the corners, Clark delivered the walk-off hit with a single through the right side of the infield to claim the 5-4 win.

Southern has claimed the third MIAA series of the season with the win and will look to sweep the nationally ranked Bronchos tomorrow with first pitch set for 1:00pm from Warren Turner Field.

MSSU baseball tops Central Oklahoma 5-4 in series opener

(From Missouri Southern Sports)

The Missouri Southern baseball program picked up a series opening 5-4 win over No. 5 Central Oklahoma on Friday from Warren Turner Field behind dominant pitching by Cole Woods.

The Lions (14-6, 5-2 MIAA) got 8.0 innings with nine strikeouts and one walk issued from Woods with his first hit being surrendered off a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. 

Laif Hultine picked up his second save of the season with a shutout ninth inning and two strikeouts. Nate Mieszkowski collected his eighth home run of the season and scored three runs, Matt Miller had two RBIs and Henry Kusiak had an RBI and scored once.

UCO (15-4, 5-2 MIAA) was led by Aiden Proctor with a three RBI triple as James Wambold picked up his second loss of the seaosn with 5.2 innings giving up seven hits, four runs and walking three.

Southern raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first after a Kusiak triple to right center scored Mieszkowski and a Miller sacrifice fly scored Kusiak later on in the inning. Miller would get another RBI in the third inning with Mieszkowksi scoring and in the fifth Mieszkowski hit one over the left field fence to make it 4-0 in the fifth inning. Ethan Clark would add a run in th eight with a single through the right side to score Will Doherty for a 5-0 lead.

Woods began the ninth inning off with no hits allowed and only two baserunners allowed on base from hit by pitches as a pinch hitting Broncho broke up the no hitter in the inning. After four runs scored Hultine was called in to close out the game and delivered with a sacrifice bunt and back-to-back third pitch swinging strikeouts to end the game.

Game two of the MIAA series will be played tomorrow with first pitch being moved up to 12:00pm at Warren Turner Field in an attempt to beat rain forecasted for the Joplin area.