May 6—The second-seeded Missouri Southern Lions gave up three runs in the top of the first inning and ultimately fell 6-4 to seventh-seeded Newman on Saturday at Warren Turner Field in the MIAA Championship Tournament.

The loss sets up a decisive game three Sunday between the two teams in the best-of-three series. The winner of Sunday's game advances to the MIAA semifinals to face the winner of the No. 3 Washburn and No. 6 Northeastern State (Tahlequah, Oklahoma) series next weekend in Warrensburg. Down one game, NSU run-ruled the Ichabods 14-1 on Saturday to push their series to game three as well.

Newman (23-19) opened the game with a Shawn Marquis single off Lion starter Cole Gayman. Marquis advanced to second base on a Jake Angelico walk. After a strikeout of Jenner Steele, Jason Schneider brought Marquis home with a single to right center field that sent Angelico to third. Gayman fanned Zack Stewart on four pitches, but Angelico scored on a wild pitch. The Jets scored their third run of the inning off a Jack Kiser single that plated Schneider.

After holding Newman scoreless in the top of the second inning, the Lions put a run on the board in the bottom of the frame off a Newman throwing error that sent Will Doherty home. Newman got that run back in the top of the third inning off a Schneider sacrifice fly that scored Angelico and the Jets were up 4-1 going into the bottom of the third.

The Lions (39-13) had their most productive inning in the bottom of the third, scoring twice to tighten the game at 4-3. Henry Kusiak hit an RBI single to short that scored Nate Mieszkowski and Ethan Clark drove in Treghan Parker with a single to center field.

Angelico scored on another wild pitch in the top of the fifth inning to give the Jets a 5-3 lead. Treghan Parker hit a lead-off single in the bottom of the seventh and eventually came home on a Henry Kusiak single to first base. The Lions entered the eighth inning trailing 5-4.

The Jets padded their lead to 6-4 off a Schneider single in the top of the ninth that scored Eli Wohl. Southern managed to get the tying run to the plate after Clark drew a walk, but Matt Miller and Will Doherty strikeouts and a Garrett Rice pop out ended the game with Newman prevailing 6-4.

Kusiak led the Lions, going 2-4 with 2 RBIs. Parker was 2-5 and scored twice. Schneider went 2-4 with 3 RBIs for the Jets and scored once. Kiser finished 2-4 with an RBI.

Gayman (6-1) gave up four runs on six hits and a walk and struck out five hitters in three innings of work for the Lions. Newman starter Asher Finke threw seven innings for the Jets, giving up three runs on seven hits. Finske struck out four, walked one and hit three batters.

The teams conclude their series 1 p.m. tomorrow at Warren Turner Field.