FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2009

Lions drop final regular season games at Rockhurst

Game One Box | Game Two Box

Kansas City, Mo. -  The Missouri Southern Lions concluded the 2009 regular season with a pair of non-conference losses to the Rockhurst Hawks Sunday afternoon (May 3) in Kansas City, Mo. The Lions lost the opener 4-3 in nine innings and then the nightcap, 9-6.

With the first game tied 3-3 heading to the bottom of the ninth of the scheduled seven-inning game, Justin Fujarski led off with a single and scored the winning run for the Hawks on a double by Tyler Knust.

The Lions trailed 2-0 after three innings but quickly tied the score in the fouth when Jacob Taylor started the inning by reaching on an error and scoring on a two-run homer by Derek Ezell.

Jordan Myers put the Hawks back on top with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth before the Lions again quickly pulled even in the sixth on a solo homer by Taylor that made it 3-3.

Lion starter CJ Maffei pitched five innings and gave up three runs, two earned in a no-decision.

The Lions (34-18) jumped on top in the nightcap with a pair of runs in the first when Zach Caldwell hit a lead-off single and scored the first run on an RBI single from Ezell. Ezell later scored the Lions' second run on a balk by Hawks' starting pitcher Frank Allen.

The Hawks (35-19) had an answer as Knust started things with a single and scored after Nick Troilo walked and Mike Walczuk singled him home. The Hawks tied the score when MSSU starter Carter Lance also committed a balk that scored Troilo. Cory Coquillard then grounded out to score Walczuk to put the Hawks up 3-2.

Southern tied the score when Lee Hall scored a run on a wild pitch in the second and then regained the lead in the third when Juan Hernandez drew a lead-off walk, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Justin Beal.

The game continued its back-and-forth trend when the Hawks again claimed the lead in the bottom of the third on a two-run triple from Tom Stevison.

Walczuk then helped the Hawks pull away with a three-run double in the fourth to key a four-run inning that put the Lions in a 9-4 hole.

Shayne Hoke and Beal each drove in a run in the fifth that brought the Lions to within 9-6, but that's as close as Southern could get as Hawks' reliever Mark Himmelberg pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the save.

Frank Allen got the win for the Hawks after allowing six runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Lions will now gear up for their first appearance in the MIAA Postseason Tournament since 2002 by beginning play in the Tourney on Friday (May. 8) at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan. The third-seeded Lions will play second-seeded Central Missouri in at noon in the first round. MSSU and UCM split a pair of games earlier this season in Warrensburg, Mo.