Wednesday, the Missouri Southern softball Lions suffered a pair of defeats at the hands of visiting Pittsburg State University in a non-conference double-header.

The Lions dropped the first game 3-2 in 10 innings. Sophomore Lacee Craig pitched a complete game giving up only five hits and three runs, all unearned. She also struck out eight. This game was a pitchers duel however, and through six and a half innings Southern had scored no runs.

The game was tied 1-1 at the end of seven and the game went into extra innings with the international tiebreaker rule in affect.

The international tiebreakere rule means that the team up to bat starts with one runner in scoring position.

Both teams went quietly in the eighth and scored one in the ninth before Pittsburg State took a 3-2 lead in the 10th and didn’t surrender it.

Sophomore shortstop Andrea Childs was 4-4 with an RBI in game one.

In game two, there was a duel of a different kind highlighted by sophomore catcher Angie Turner’s first home run of the season.

But the Gorillas used five Southern errors and three-RBI performances from freshman designated player Jessica Jones and junior second baseman Eileen Treff to defeat the Lions in the nightcap by a score of 12-11.

Junior Tamika Barnes pitched seven innings allowing eight hits and eight runs, three of which were earned. Turner finished the game 2-4 with three RBI for the Lions.

“We are in game number 8” said Southern head coach Aron Potter “we are just trying to find the combination that works best for us.”

The losses dropped the Lions record to 2-6 on the year.

Southern will be back in action tomorrow and Sunday at the Missouri Western Tournament in St. Joseph, Mo.

Their first game will be played at 9 a.m. against conference foe Truman State followed by an 11 a.m. date with Augustana. Sunday, they will play Southwest Minnesota, Nebraska-Omaha, and Missouri Western.