Two Nathan Hughes pitches into game one of a doubleheader against Central Missouri State University on April 16, the rain forced an end to Missouri Southern’s with the top team in the MIAA.

Depending on Central’s makeup schedule, the doubleheader will be made up on April 17 or 21. No matter when the games are rescheduled, the games will definitely be played, according to Lions’ head coach Warren Turner.

“If we are going to go anywhere, the road leads through CMSU,” Turner said. “We’re going to make these games up even if we have to travel to Warrensburg again.”

The Lions dropped a pair of games earlier in the season to Central by the score of 5-4 and 6-3. The team proved then that it can compete with the conference’s top team and the nation’s sixth ranked team. The Lions are also looking forward to playing them again to further test themselves.

“Every year it seems like Central is the main obstacle for us in the conference and this year it is the same thing along with Northwest Missouri State,” said senior pitcher Nick Davis.

On April 12-13 the Lions hosted Missouri Western for three games over the weekend.

In game one, the Lions picked up a 10-7 win. Davis started and picked up his sixth win after only giving up two earned runs and striking out six in six innings.

Junior Ross Bailey, sophomore Evan Bates and junior Jake Lawver each pitched an inning in relief of Davis. The trio gave up five earned runs in the three innings but were able to keep the Griffons at bay.

Southern was led offensively by juniors Mark Catanzaro and Zack Bronson, who both went three for five, and Mark Keister, who went two for four with five RBIs.

Hughes also added two hits for the Lions.

Game two of the doubleheader was a 12-inning, 10-9 win for the Lions.

With the score tied in the bottom of the 12th, Keister got a one-out single and moved to second when freshman Nathan Copher was hit by a pitch. Keister then came home with the winning run when freshman Jeff Taylor reached on an error by Western’s third baseman Lee Ring.

Senior Nick Johnson started the game for the Lions and gave up seven runs (five earned) on nine hits over seven innings.

Sophomore Josh Tupper then gave up two runs over three innings in relief of Johnson.

Lawver, who got the save in game one, pitched two scoreless innings to finish the game and pick up his first win of the season.

Keister and Catanzaro again led the offense for the Lions. Keister picked up four more hits and four more RBIs, and Catanzaro went two for five with three runs scored. Bronson and Hughes both added two hits and two RBIs in game two.

“We got two good wins on Saturday,” Turner said.

“They were both good games against a good team, and we were glad to get them.”

Game three of the weekend series on April 13 was not quite as good a game as the first two.

The Lions were beaten soundly by the Griffons, 21-14.

Taylor, the starting pitcher, gave up 11 runs on 11 hits in only four innings pitched.

Senior Charlie Robinson, Taylor’s relief, turned out to be no relief at all after he gave up five runs on four hits in only one-third of an inning. Freshman Dustin Brown and Bailey also pitched in relief.

They gave up two and three runs respectively before the game came to a close.

“It was just one of those days,” Turner said of the third game in the series. “They were hot, and we did not pitch or hit well, but it gave some of our younger guys a chance to play and get some experience. I have lost by more in the past, and I’ll probably lose big again, so I’m not worried that much by losing big now.”

Southern is still in a good position at this point of the season.

With a record of 24-15 (12-7 MIAA) it is in third place in the conference which still puts them in post-season play.

“If we stay in the top four of the conference and make the tournament, we’ll be happy. And that is still our goal,” Turner said.

The Lions’ next scheduled game is Friday at home against Washburn University, but they are likely to make up the doubleheader with Central before then.