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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Joplin, Mo. - Derek Ezell drove in five runs to lead the Missouri Southern Lions to a 15-6 win over the Fort Hays State Tigers in the opening game of a four-game set Thursday night (Mar. 20) at Joe Becker Stadium. Ezell got the Lions started in the first inning with a two-run single that plated C.J. Matthews and Matt Mantle that made it 2-0 Lions. Matthews had reached on an error and was doubled to third by Mantle. The Lions (5-14, 3-2 MIAA) tallied two more in the second when Skyler Rawlins led off the inning by reaching base on another error and then scoring on a fielder's choice by Cliff Wheeler. Mantle later singled in Juan Hernandez to give the Lions a four-run lead. All four of the Lions' runs in the first two innings were unearned. Southern then took a commanding 7-0 lead the next inning after Hernandez tripled in three runs. With one out, Gabe Wyatt and and Rawlins hit back-to-back singles and Alex French reached base after being hit by a pitch. The Lions made it 8-0 on a sacrifice fly by Wheeler in the bottom of the fourth before the Tigers (4-13, 1-4 MIAA) began to make things interesting. Brett Becker cut the Lions' lead in half with a grand slam in the fifth. That was followed by a two-out solo homer by Dusty Washburn that cut the lead to 8-5. The Lions then regained command with a four-run seventh inning to take a 12-5 lead. The big inning featured a two-run triple from Ezell and run-scoring doubles by Kenny Hart and French. Washburn tried to keep FHSU in the game by leading off the eighth with his second solo blast of the evening that made the score 12-6. But the Lions put it away with three runs in the bottom of the eighth to go up by the final margin of 15-6. Wheeler singled in Hernandez for the first Lion run of the inning after Hernandez led off the inning by being hit by a pitch and then advancing to second on a wild pitch and to third on a groundout by Matthews. Ezell then doubled in Wheeler and then scored on a triple by Hart. Tyler Lipscomb got the win by pitching eight innings and giving up six runs, all of which came on homers. Lipscomb struck out 11 batters and walked only one. Eric Gilliland was the losing pitcher after surrendering eight runs, four earned in four innings of work. Ezell was 4-6 for the Lions with three runs scored. Hernandez went 2-5 and drove in three and scored twice. The Lions and Tigers will continue their four-game series by playing a pair of seven-inning contests tomorrow (Mar. 21) beginning at 1 p.m.
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