Griffons see four-run lead slip away for third straight loss

Just as Missouri Western baseball was about to dig themselves out of a rut, Missouri Southern extends Western’s losing streak to three in what’s been a rough season for the Griffons.

On Monday, the two teams met once again to finish out a three-game conference series. Missouri Western had lost the first two games to Southern, offering no resistance in either game to one of the top teams in the MIAA. The Griffons lost the first two games of the series by scores of 12-4 and 6-0.

The offense the Griffons had a hard time generating in the first two games over the weekend was found in the first three innings on Monday. Western struck first on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first when junior Anthony Taggart grounded out to the second baseman of Southern, but still tallying an RBI when former Bishop LeBlond Golden Eagle Frank Gall scored from third. 

The Griffons then were able to take advantage of their opportunities more so in the third inning when they scored four runs on four hits, giving them an edge and glimmer of hope to knock off the Lions.

However, Southern stayed the course. While the offense was not there for the Lions early on, the sixth innings was the surge the team was in need of in order to continue the pursuit of the sweep. The Lions took advantage of the pitching change Western made to right hander Jacob Ross. Southern scored five runs with Ross on the mound and take a 7-6 lead. Former Lafayette Fighting Irish Brayden Luikart brought in the tying run in the sixth on an RBI single to tie the game at 6, and in the process, a throwing error to attempt to get Luikart tagged out at first base brought in the go-ahead run.

From there, Southern proved to be too much for Western and handed the Griffons the 9-7 loss, as well as its 23rd loss of the season.