Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

JOPLIN, Mo. (April 18) – Central Oklahoma split a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association doubleheader with Missouri Southern here Friday, taking the opener 7-3 before the Lions used a late rally to pull out a 4-3 second-game win.

Phillip Wilson smacked his 12th home run of the season and picked up his seventh save in the opener, moving into a tie for third place on UCO's single-season saves list.

The Bronchos are now 31-11 for the year and 24-11 in the conference, while MSSU is 23-21 and 16-19.  The two teams wrap up the four-game series Saturday with a 1 p.m. single game.

Ricky Reeves earned the win in the first game, allowing just one earned run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings of work to improve to 8-1 on the season.  Wilson worked the final 1 2/3 innings for the save.

Jared Sterling once again led the offense, driving in two more runs to give him seven RBI in the series.  Sterling's run-scoring single gave UCO a  2-0 lead in the second before Wilson homered in the fifth to help put the Bronchos ahead 4-0.

The Lion scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 4-3 and make things interesting, but UCO plated three insurance runs in the seventh inning and Wilson closed the door for the save.

Josh Ingram had a two-run single to in the third inning to give the Bronchos a 2-0 lead in the second game and it was a 3-1 advantage after six innings when Dilon Argo doubled and scored on Cesar Wong's single.

An error helped MSSU push across three runs in the sixth to move in front 4-3 and and the Bronchos couldn't answer in their final at bat.