JOPLIN, Mo. — After briefly tying the game early on, Griffon Baseball fell behind to Minnesota State once again, staying put after a 12-strikeout day at the plate in a 4-1 final on the first day of the MIAA/GLVC Crossover.
Mankato (1-0) opened up the scoring at Warren Turner Field in the bottom of the second with an RBI double off of Griffon pitcher
Brayden McCollough, who only pitched three innings but gave up two earned runs and struck out five batters. Missouri Western (2-2) tied the game half a frame later in the third when
Jhonatan Pena brought home
Travis Wiese on a sacrifice fly. However, the Mavericks immediately responded with another run in the bottom of the third, eventually tacking on another run in the sixth and one more in the eighth.
NOTABLES
- The Griffon pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts, with McCollough and Brayden Haugh both sitting down five batters while Zack Cushing struck out one.
- Wiese hit a triple in the third, eventually scoring thanks to Pena.
- Bryant Jackson got on base twice, getting hit by a pitch in the third and reaching on an infield single to the pitcher in the eighth.
UP NEXT
Missouri Western next meets up with McKendree (0-3) on Saturday at 10 a.m. back at Warren Turner Field.