FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mar. 25, 2009

Lions win fourth straight with 14-7 win at Drury

Box Score

Springfield, Mo. - Tyler Tuthill and Kenny Hart combined to drive in seven runs to lead the Missouri Southern Lions to their fourth straight victory, a big 14-7 non-conference win over the Drury Panthers Wednesday afternoon (Mar. 25) in Springfield, Mo.

The Lions trailed 3-2 when they grabbed the lead for good with a five-run fourth inning. 

Trent Owens and Juan Hernandez were each hit by a pitch before Justin Beal hit a single to load the bases with one out.  Hart then drew a walk that chased home Owens to tie the score. 

Tuthill followed that with the big hit of the inning, a three-run triple that cleared the bases for a 6-3 Lion lead.  Zach Caldwell drove in Tuthill with an RBI groundout for the Lions fifth run of the inning.

The Panthers came within 7-4 by taking advantage of a Lion error in the bottom of the fourth before the Lions answered in the fifth with an RBI groundout by Owens to again go ahead by four runs.

Drury (14-12) really made things interesting with three runs in the bottom of the fifth that made it a one-run game at 8-7.  The inning featured an RBI single by Harrison Waters and a run-scoring triple from Tyler Wright.

The Lions (17-11, 9-5 MIAA) pulled away again with three runs in the sixth and then three more tallies in the ninth.

Tuthill got the Lions going in the sixth with a lead-off single before Skyler Rawlins and Jacob Taylor each walked to load the bases and Ezell walked to bring home Tuthill.  Juan Hernandez drove in two more runs with a single up the middle for an 11-7 Lion lead.

Hernandez led off the ninth with a base-hit and advanced to third on walks to Beal and Hart.  Tuthill then drove in his fourth run of the game with a sacrifice fly to give the Lions a 12-7 advantage.

Rawlins drove in Beal with an RBI single and Taylor hit a sacrifice fly that scored Hart to make it 14-7.

Garrett Groom pitched a hitless ninth to close the door for the Lions.

Carter Lance threw two scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory to run his record to a perfect 4-0 on the season.

Beal started the game for the Lions and lasted 4 1/3 innings, with five earned runs and two strikeouts.

Tuthill was 2-4 and drove in four runs with two runs scored, while Hart drove in three runs and scored twice.

Next up for the Lions is an MIAA four-game series at Central Missouri.  The series begins with a doubleheader on Friday (Mar. 28) at 2 p.m. in Warrensburg, Mo.