FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mar. 30, 2009

Lions split with Central Missouri

Game one box | Game Two Box

Warrensburg, Mo. - CJ Maffei pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings as the Missouri Southern Lions ended the Central Missouri Mules' streak of 162 consecutive games without being shutout in a 4-0 win in the nightcap of a doubleheader Monday afternoon (Mar. 30) in Warrensburg, Mo. The shutout is only the Mules fourth in the last 19 years and the first at home since being blanked 4-0 to Missouri Rolla exactly five years ago. The Mules was assured of a split by shutting out the Lions in the opener, 2-0.

Zach Caldwell provided the run support for Maffei by smashing two homers and driving in three runs.

Justin Beal put the Lions on top with an RBI triple that scored Kenny Hart in the sixth for a 1-0 lead.

Caldwell made it 2-0 by leading off the seventh with his first homer of the day before smashing a two-run shot in the eighth inning to score Trent Owens that made it a four-run Lion advantage.

Garrett Groom helped the Lions complete the shutout by striking out three batters in two innings of scoreless relief to pick up his first save of the season.

Maffei struck out four and allowed only four hits to improve to 5-3 on the year.

Jacob Taylor went 3-3 in the victory for the Lions, while Owens was 2-4 with one run scored.

Scott Bradbury went 3-4 for UCM, accounting for three of the Mules' five hits in the game.

Carter Lance also pitched brilliantly in the opener for the Lions in a losing effort, going six innings and giving up only two runs but suffering his first loss of the season to fall to 4-1.

John Oropeza drove home both runs for the Mules with a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth.

The Lions (18-12, 10-6 MIAA) failed to crack the scoreboard in the first game despite out-hitting the Mules 8-7, led by a 2-3 effort from Hart.

Mitch Stubenhofer ran his record to 3-0 for the Mules (15-9, 9-7 MIAA) by pitching 5 2/3 innings and giving up all eight Lion hits. Nick Phillips received his first save by holding the Lions scoreless for the final 3 1/3 innings and striking out two.

Groom also pitched two scoreless innings in the opener for the Lions.

The split assures the Lions of remaining in third place in the MIAA, one game ahead of the Mules.

The Lions will continue MIAA action with a four-game weekend series at Washburn, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 4) at 3 p.m. in Topeka, Kan.