FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mar. 16, 2008

Lions split double-header at Pittsburg State

Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score

Pittsburg, Kan. - Scotty Roberson threw a complete-game, five hitter in game one today, leading the Missouri Southern baseball team to a 7-1 win over Pittsburg State, before the Gorillas took game two, 6-2 in the nightcap.

Southern (4-14, 2-2 MIAA) went down 1-0 in the first inning of game one, but Roberson settled down and shut out the Gorillas for the final six innings.

Skyler Rawlins tied the game up for the Lions in the fifth when he homered off the light pole in left field to knot the game up at one. Southern added another run in the inning when Juan Hernandez scored on an RBI single from Matt Mantle to give the Lions the go-ahead run. Southern added two more runs in the sixth and three in the seventh.

Roberson scattered five hits, going the distance. He allowed no earned runs, striking out three, walking just two. It is Roberson's second-straight complete game. Wheeler went 3-4 with two RBIs in the game, while Rawlins had two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. CJ Matthews had two hits and drove in one.

The Lions picked up two runs in the top of the first of game two when, with two outs, Kenny Hart reached on an error. Jeff Katchmar then tripled to left, scoring Hart and Derek Ezell singled home Katchmar to give Southern an early 2-0 lead.

PSU (7-9, 2-2 MIAA) scored one in the bottom of the first, but the big blow came in the third when Justin Northern hit a three run homer to put the Gorillas up 4-2. PSU scored a run in each of the fourth and fifth to go up 6-2 after five innings.

The Lions threatened with two hits in the fifth and one in the sixth, but couldn't plate any more runs.

Austin Lawrence started for the Lions, going three innings and allowing just three earned runs on four hits. He struck out one. Matthews had two hits for Southern as five other Lions added a hit each. Southern out hit PSU, but left nine runners on base in the game.

The Lions will be back in action this next weekend taking on Fort Hays State. The Lions and Tigers will play one game on Thursday at 6 pm, two on Friday at 1 pm and another on Saturday at Noon.