Lions claim MIAA regular season title for first time since 2001

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Missouri Southern State University needed just one win Saturday at Pittsburg State University to seal its first MIAA regular season conference championship in 25 years.

The Lions (45-7, 20-4 MIAA) did so by exploding in the third inning for four runs to take a 4-2 lead. They scored in every inning after that and went on to claim a 13-2 victory over their rival Gorillas (45-8, 17-7 MIAA) in run-rule fashion after six innings in game one of the doubleheader.

The Lions, after a long wait to receive the trophy after a game two win, were able to celebrate their first title since 2001.

"It feels great. But, really, I'm so excited for this team because this is a team. When the first game ended, Lex (Lexi Kinnaird) and I just sat on the buckets in there (dugout) and watched our team," MSSU head coach Hallie Blackney said. "Just the genuine joy that was on their face. That was so special to see their faces because they've earned this. They've worked their butts off. They're together. They play for each other. I'm just so proud of them and I'm so happy they're getting rewarded for this."

MSSU is the No. 1 seed for next week's MIAA tournament in Emporia, Kansas, at Emporia State University. The Lions play the winner of No. 8 Washburn University (35-18, 12-12 MIAA) and No. 9 Missouri Western State University (32-17, 11-13 MIAA) at 11 a.m. Thursday.

The Ichabods have won four straight games and the Griffons are on a seven-game streak.

Game 1

MSSU Senior Carsen Tinkler and freshman Avery Sue Davis started the rally for the visitors in that four-run third inning. With the bases loaded and no one out, Tinkler lined a ball down the left field line that scored two runs and she rolled into second base with a double, tying the score at 2.

"Anything to get someone in and get it going. Once we got it started, we took off and kept going and it was awesome," Tinkler said.

Davis dug in with two outs and two runners aboard. She drove a ball the opposite direction that dropped between right and center field for a double. On the run, PSU's Sailor Hall couldn't gather the hard hit and it went off her glove and toward the fence allowing Davis to roll into third base off the error.

"I was thinking, 'Put a good swing on a good pitch.' If there were runners on, I was just trying to move them, that's all I was thinking about up there," Davis said.

The Lions' rally ended after grabbing a 4-2 lead. Tinkler made it 5-2 in the fourth with a sacrifice fly.

Davis went on to have a 3-for-4 day with three RBIs, two runs scored, two doubles and a home run. Davis' solo shot came in the fifth inning and made the score 6-2.

That fifth inning also had RBI singles from Bailey Dillon and Taylor Nuckolls, which took the lead to 8-2.

Davis doubled in a run in the sixth, Walter singled in another, an error led to the 11th run and Nuckolls and Tinkler earned singles to bring in the final two.

Tinkler and Davis both spoke about the feelings of being MIAA champs after the games and ending a 25-year drought.

"Pretty freakin' awesome. Everybody came in ready to go and we made it happen," Tinkler said. "Not a better way to go out senior year. We're not done yet."

"So exciting. Great Year 1 so far, yeah?" Davis said. "I'm so excited for my teammates."

PSU started the game with two runs in the first inning but never could muster any offense against Kiki Pickens the rest of the way. A two-run home run from Lexi Davis was the only production for the Gorillas.

Pickens finished with three strikeouts, two hits allowed, one walk and one hit batter. She improved to 19-3 on the season.

PSU head coach Josh Barnes talked about how he expected the Lions to be in this spot at the end of the season after picking them to win the conference in the preseason.

"Hats off to them. That's who we thought was going to be No. 1 in the conference. We picked them to do that and they did exactly what we thought," he said.

Game 2

In game two, Barnes' squad again held a lead. MSSU jumped out in the first with a 1-0 lead thanks to three early errors by the Gorillas. But the home team responded with two solo homers in the third frame and took a 2-1 lead.

Haili Igou and Kadyn Trochim went back-to-back on their deep hits in the third.

Southern tied things in the fifth and then took the lead back in the seventh on a double by Walter that scored Gianna Saggese. Then freshman pitcher Emily Davis finished the job in the seventh to complete the sweep.

Davis struck out nine, allowed three hits, walked four and gave up two runs in seven innings.

After being swept, PSU will enter the MIAA tournament as the No. 2 seed and will have lost six of its last eight games. It has only lost eight games but six of them came in the last eight days of the season.

"Obviously, it stinks when you lose. We've lost six games out of the eight we've lost all season in one week. Right now we're pretty banged up. We've got a lot of injuries and a lot of stuff on top of that," Barnes said. "It's tough when you've got good teams that you're playing against like Missouri Southern."

Barnes noted his team has had eight season-ending injuries but hopes he could get a couple of key players that are considered day-to-day back for the postseason tournament.

Win total

MSSU finished the regular season with 45 wins — the second most in program history. The only team to win more regular season games was the 2001 team that won 52 total games and 48 in the regular season.

That win total is a career best for Blackney as she looks to extend that number a little more in the coming weeks.

But as Tinkler noted, this team isn't done yet and they're chasing more than just a certain amount of wins.

"We have a very mature team. Our upperclassmen have done a phenomenal job using the experience they have to make sure we show up every day and get 1% better. In order to peak in May, you have to get better every day," Blackney said.