FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apr. 15, 2008

Lions pound out six homers in double-header sweep of Southwest Baptist

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

Bolivar, Mo. - Alec French and Scott Klassen combined to drive in 12 runs to lead the Missouri Southern Lions to a doubleheader sweep in a seven and nine-inning doubleheader Tuesday afternoon (Apr. 15) at Dodson Field in Bolivar, Mo. The Lions took the opener 14-6 and then won the nightcap 10-5.

With the victories, the Lions moved back to .500 in the MIAA at 12-12 and improved to 14-24 overall. SBU fell to 7-25 overall and 5-19 in the conference.

The Bearcats led 2-0 after Brad Mountjoy hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first before Southern came right back with an eight-run second inning that featured a three-run home run by Klassen and a grand slam from French. Juan Hernandez also went deep in the inning that saw the Lions benefit from three SBU errors in the inning that led to all eight runs being unearned off of SBU starter Ray Kelly.

The Lions wound up scoring 12 unanswered runs after a two-run double by Matt Mantle put the Lions in front 12-2 in the fifth inning before SBU's Justin Barnhart hit a three-run homer to cut the lead to 12-5.

Southern hurler Tyler Lipscomb pitched six innings and allowed five earned runs and struck out six to pick up the victory.

Kelly gave up 14 runs for SBU, but only two earned in the loss.

The second game saw the Lions jump out to a 2-0 lead on a two-run double by French in the top of the second.

The Lions then scored three more in the fourth inning as Juan Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly and Mantle doubled home Eric Clark to put Southern ahead 5-0.

SBU though came right back to tie the score in the bottom of the fourth with five runs on the strength of a pair of two-run singles by Jason Asher and John Cobb.

CJ Matthews and Derek Ezell would then put the Lions ahead to stay as each hit RBI singles in the top of the sixth that gave the Lions a 7-5 advantage.

The Lions added three insurance runs in the ninth on a solo homer by Fernando Lugo and a two-run blast from Skyler Rawlins.

Jacob Garrison was the winner for the Lions by throwing 3 1/3 innings in relief of starter Ryan Verfurth.

The Lions will now begin a four-game series at Truman with a nine-inning game on Friday afternoon (Apr. 18) at 3 p.m. in Kirksville, Mo.