Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Bolivar, Mo. - The Southwest Baptist University baseball team kicked off their final home series of the 2015 season by splitting with Missouri Western on Thursday afternoon. The Bearcats took game one 12-11 before falling in game two 11-3. At the conclusion of the day, Southwest Baptist now stands at 18-22 (11-19 MIAA) on the season.

In game one the Griffons were the first to strike by scoring six runs across the first three innings of play. After SBU held MWSU scoreless in the top of the fourth, the Bearcats offense got in a groove in the bottom half of the inning. Christian Binger led the inning off with a single through the right side, and was brought home on a two-run homerun from Spencer Blacksher as SBU trailed 6-2. The Bearcats then received back-to-back walks from Ross Wolfe and Jake Vore, followed by a bunt single by Trevor Bowling to load the bases with no outs. Cory Canterbury then drew a bases loaded walk, followed by a two-rbi single from Zach Snodgrass as SBU trailed 6-5 after four.

Missouri Western responded right back in the top of the fifth, scoring three runs to extend their lead to 9-5 before Southwest Baptist had an answer of their own. The Bearcats once again loaded the bases, utilizing a MWSU error, a Binger single, and free base for Blacksher after he got hit by a pitch. Vore then singled to center field, scoring Chance Wolfe, as the Bearcats trailed 9-6. Bowling was then hit by a pitch, forcing home a run, before Canterbury hit a two-rbi double to right field to give SBU a 10-9 lead. Snodgrass then picked up another rbi with a single through the left side as SBU led 11-9 after five innings.

Neither team scored in the sixth before Missouri Western tied the game up in the top of the seventh with a two-run homerun as the Bearcats entered into the bottom of the seventh with the game tied 1-1. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Bowling took the first pitch he saw and deposited it over the left field wall as he hit his first career walk-off homerun as the Bearcats claimed game one 12-11. Evan Stransky picked up the victory after pitching 3.0 innings while allowing two runs on the day.

In game two, the Bearcats were the first to strike, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Vore led the inning off with a walk, and was brought home on a two-run homerun from Bowling to put the Bearcats ahead 2-0. Missouri Western would then score the next eight runs, taking an 8-2 lead, before the Bearcats would tack on one more run in the sixth off of a MWSU error. However, the Bearcats would end up falling 11-3 in game two.

Southwest Baptist will return to action on Friday, April 17 when they host Missouri Western in a double-header to close out the home portion of the regular season. Opening pitch of game one is set to take place at 1:00 p.m. from Dodson Field in Bolivar.