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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern Lions exploded for 27 runs to sweep a pair of games from the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs Sunday afternoon (Feb. 22) at Joe Becker Stadium. The Lions won the first game 11-6, then the nightcap 16-6. The Lions trailed the opener 6-5 when Jacob Taylor hit a two-out triple and then scored the tying run on a single by Trent Owens in the bottom of the fifth inning. Southern grabbed the lead with a five-run sixth that began with a Skyler Rawlins double and an RBI single by Derek Ezell as Rawlins scored the go-ahead run. Kenny Hart drove home two runs with a single to center that was followed by an infield RBI single by Owens. Reliever Ryan Verfurth was the winning pitcher by throwing two hitless innings and striking out two. The Bulldogs' six runs came off of four home runs, including a pair of shots from Brian Burman that produced three runs. Owens was 3-4 with two RBI in the first game for the Lions. Zach Caldwell got the Lions off on the right note in the second game with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first. Justin Beal followed that by drawing a walk and later scoring on a sacrifice fly by Hart to put the Lions ahead 2-0. The Bulldogs jumped on top with a three-run third inning that included RBI singles by Will Dahlgren and Josh Threlkeld. Southern then grabbed the lead back with two in the bottom of the third before breaking the game open with a nine-run fourth inning. The big inning started with a double from Caldwell and an RBI single by Beal. Beal also had a two-run single and the inning was capped on a run-scoring double by Ezell that plated Beal as the Lions led 13-3 after four innings. The Bulldogs tried to stay alive by scoring three runs in the fifth, but the Lions answered right back with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning to regain a 10-run lead. The three-run fifth for the Lions featured an RBI single by Shayne Hoke and a two-run single from Caldwell. Lion starter Corey Wells lasted five innings and allowed five earned runs to notch the victory. Ezell had four hits in the second game, while Caldwell was 3-4 with four RBI. Beal also went 3-4 and drove in three runs for the Lions. The Lions will conclude the series with UMD tomorrow afternoon (Feb. 23) with a doubleheader beginning at noon at Joe Becker Stadium.
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