Doherty powers Lions to run-rule win over RiverHawks

Will Doherty stepped into the batter’s box in the bottom of the sixth inning with one out and the score tied at 3-3.

Doherty and the Lions of Missouri Southern were looking to break through on offense.

The redshirt junior returning to the field, after missing last season due to an injury, connected on a pitch and sent it over the left field fence to make it 5-3. He added a grand slam in the seventh to put his team up 11-3, and moments later, MSSU sealed a 13-3 run-rule win over Northeastern State University on Friday afternoon at Warren Turner Field at MSSU.

“Just doing anything to get the win. This year’s been a slow start, but we’re getting there, and everything is starting to click today,” Doherty said.

Doherty came into the game hitting .267. His 2-for-5 day with six RBIs and two runs scored raised that to .280 and gave him home runs No. 2 and 3 on the season.

“Just getting things going. I can’t let this day get too big because at the end of the day, I’ve got four more at-bats tomorrow,” Doherty added.

“Will’s kind of hit into some tough luck. His numbers aren’t probably indicative of the contact he’s making,” MSSU head coach Bryce Darnell said. “He definitely got into those two balls, for sure.”

Darnell sent Owen Schneider out to the mound to start the game, and he recorded six outs without allowing a hit. In the third, he ran into a bit of trouble with a 1-0 lead.

The lefty walked the leadoff batter and then two doubles and a single for Northeastern State University led to a three-run inning.

“Owen’s pitched great all season,” Darnell said. “After we scored and took the lead, he walked a guy to start the inning, and that’s kind of uncharacteristic of him. That’s the only bad thing he really did.”

Schneider finished six innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out six RiverHawks in his fourth win of the season to move to 4-0 in five starts.

The Lions tied the score at 3 in the fifth frame with a solo homer from Brayden Luikart and an RBI double from Jason Lazo. They tallied three runs in the sixth and seven in the seventh. Lazo ended the game with a two-RBI ground-rule double to center field.

Luikart led the team going 5 for 5 with a homer and four singles. He scored three times. Aiden Hinkle finished 3 for 4 at the bottom of the batting order and had two doubles with one RBI. His second-inning double drove in Cy Darnell to put MSSU up 1-0.

Jackson Gamble pitched the seventh and final inning of the game, recording three outs and walking one batter.

“Got a real good inning out of Gamble. He’s been a workhorse for us,” Darnell said.

Due to rain forecast for Sunday, the Lions and RiverHawks will play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m.