ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball team advanced to the championship game of the MIAA Tournament, where the team had an incredible rally attempt stopped short in the bottom of the ninth.
 
After eliminating Emporia State with a mostly dominant 7-3 victory early Sunday afternoon, the Griffons battled back time and time again in a 16-14 loss to top seeded Central Missouri . Down 16-10 going to the bottom of the ninth, Missouri Western scored four and had the tying run at the plate in Jeremy Alvarado who fouled out to the first baseman to end the game and give UCM the regular season and postseason MIAA titles.
 
Missouri Western out-hit the Mules 22-18 but left 11 runners stranded in the game. Conner Schwienebart was the only Griffon pitcher to last more than 1.1 innings, going the final 6.2 to help stop the bleeding some. After earning the save in the Griffons first win of the day, Schwienebart was the fifth pitcher to enter the UCM game for the Griffons. He gave up 10 hits, three hits and struck out six.
 
The fourth seeded Griffons won three games on the weekend and will learn their poststeason fate Sunday night at 9 p.m. during the NCAA Division II Baseball selection show. Missouri Western was ranked sixth in the latest Central Region poll with the top eight teams advancing to the regional.
 
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