OZARK, Mo. – Missouri Southern scored five runs in the top of the sixth and held off Drury down the stretch for an 8-6 win over the Panthers on Wednesday at US Baseball Park in Ozark.
The Lions improved to 26-20 and dropped Drury to 29-13.
Drury led in the middle innings and went up 3-2 in the third inning when
Wes Collins scored from third base on
Max Elmer's steal of second. The Panthers added two runs in the fifth as
Nikko Calabro drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, then
Aaron Mann came home on an error at shortstop.
Missouri Southern, however, turned the game around an inning later. The Lions pulled within one, then first baseman Matt Miller hit his 14
th home run of the season with a three-run shot to right field that put Missouri Southern in front 7-5.
Drury pulled within a run in the bottom half of the inning on Elmer's RBI single, but the Lions went back up by two in the top of the seventh. The Panthers loaded the bases in the seventh but could not push home a run and MSSU hung on for the win.
Cade McAllister (3-0) got the win in relief for Missouri Southern, while
Tom Tewes (1-3) took the loss for the Panthers and Laif Hultine earned his fourth save.
Aaron Mann went 3 for 4 for Drury with a double, and Elmer was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
The Panthers return to conference play and open a four-game series against Missouri-St. Louis on Friday at 5 pm at US Baseball Park in Ozark.
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