FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Apr. 27, 2008

Griffons win two to complete four-game sweep

Game 1 Box  Game 2 Box

Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Western Griffons scored a combined 21 runs in the seven and nine-inning doubleheader to complete a four-game sweep of the Missouri Southern Lions Sunday afternoon (Apr. 27) at Joe Becker Stadium.  The Griffons won the opener 8-4 and then took the nightcap 13-3.

Western jumped on top early in first game with a pair of runs in the first inning as Tommy Bone and Blake Bussman each hit RBI singles.

The Griffons then went ahead 5-0 with a three-run third before Bone hit a towering three-run homer to right field to put the Griffons up by eight runs in the top of the fourth.

Gabe Wyatt and Alec French each hit a sacrifice fly to get the Lions on the board with two in the bottom of the fourth.

Derek Ezell then hit an RBI double as the Lions scored two more in the bottom of the seventh to close out the scoring.

Billy Jones pitched a complete game and allowed four runs and struck out five over seven innings in the win for Western.

Ben Toedebusch drove in five runs to lead the Griffons to victory in the second game, including a two-run single in a four-run first inning.

The Griffons (22-21, 19-13 MIAA) added three more in the fifth thanks to a pair of Lion errors that led to all three runs being unearned.

Southern (18-30, 15-17 MIAA) scored a run in the bottom of the fifth on a fielder's choice RBI by Derek Ezell that scored Skyler Rawlins that made it 7-1.

But Toedebusch nailed a two-run homer in the sixth inning as the Griffons scored three times to go pull away to a 10-1 advantage.

Everett Saul was the winning pitcher in the nightcap for the Griffons by allowing three runs in six innings of work.  Saul also had seven strikeouts.  Steve Reily pitched the final three innings to earn the save.

Fernando Lugo and Matt Imrie each had two hits for the Lions. 

The Lions will wrap up the season by hosting a four-game series against the Central Missouri Mules that will begin on Saturday afternoon (May 3) at 4 p.m. with a seven and nine-inning doubleheader.  The series will then wrap up with another seven and nine-inning twinbill on Sunday afternoon (May 4) at 1 p.m.