JOPLIN, Mo. - The hits between the two teams were nearly even, but the Lincoln baseball team dropped an 8-0 decision to Missouri Southern on Sunday (May 1).

Missouri Southern managed nine hits while Lincoln finished with six, but the Blue Tigers stranded eight runners on base throughout the contest. The Lions led 3-0 through five innings, but took control of the contest with a pair of scores in both the sixth and seventh frames while adding an insurance run in the eighth.

The Blue Tigers opened the game with a pair of base-runners, as Kaleb Davis hit a single and Mike Million reached via a walk. In the third inning, Jake Walker got into scoring position on a double, and Zach Anderson later reached second in the fourth after getting on board with a base hit.

Lincoln (1-45, 0-36 MIAA) had its best opportunity to score in the fifth inning, as Kolton Clark beat the throw on a bunt to get on base. Walker reached base in the next at-bat and, after a strikeout, Davis tallied his second base hit of the afternoon to load the base. Missouri Southern (31-16, 21-15 MIAA) managed to turn a double play, however, to get out of the inning unscathed.

Walker had a pair of hits while Nick Lovell and Anderson each led the defense with three assists. Davis finished with nine putouts and Clark was responsible for four. Caleb Thomas started on the mound for LU and struck out four Lion batters.

Lincoln will close the non-conference portion of its 2016 schedule on Tuesday (May 3) when the Blue Tigers visit Springfield, Ill. for a 3:00 p.m. CDT contest against Illinois-Springfield.