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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Pittsburg, Kan. - A two-out double from PSU's Taylor House scored Nick Giuliani and lifted Pittsburg State over visiting Missouri Southern tonight, 5-4 in the MIAA opener for both teams. Southern (2-13, 0-1 MIAA) got on the board first with two runs in the first. After a lead-off walk to Cliff Wheeler, Gabe Wyatt reached on an infield single. Kenny Hart then sacrificed the runners up a bag and CJ Matthews walked to load the bases. Matt Mantle then doubled to left and scored both Wheeler and Wyatt to put the Lions up 2-0 after one. Skyler Rawlins picked up his first collegiate home run in the second when the freshman shortstop from Seneca lifted one over the left field wall to give the Lions a 3-0 lead. PSU (6-7, 1-0 MIAA) responded with two runs in each of the second and third innings to take a 4-3 lead after three. Neither team scored for the next four innings before Southern tied the game with a run in the top of the eighth. Alec French and Rawlins both reached on errors to start the inning putting runners at the corners. Wheeler then lifted a fly into left field to sacrifice home French to tie the game at four. PSU would plate the go-ahead run in the bottom half of the inning, though. Giuliani singled to start the inning and moved up one base when Brock Hampton sacrificed him over. After a strikeout, House doubled off the wall in left center to score Giuliani and the eventual game-winning run. Tyler Lipscomb started and went the distance for the Lions, allowing just four earned runs and striking out seven, while walking just one. Derek Ezell had two hits, while six Lions had a hit each. Mantle drove in two. The Lions and Gorillas will be back at it tomorrow, with a slight change in scheduling. With weather not looking promising tomorrow, the scheduled double-header has been scrapped in favor of one, nine-inning contest beginning at 1 pm. The two teams will then hook up for two-seven inning games on Sunday beginning at 1 pm. |