Taylor Hodges, Sports Information Director

JOPLIN, Mo. – The top-seeded Lions (42-14, 29-4 AMC) advanced to the American Midwest Conference championship game with a 6-3 win over Columbia College (28-10, 21-10 AMC) on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the very first inning after Will McCall hit an RBI single and Zach Sanders brought in two runs with a single. Both hits came with two outs in the inning. The No. 2 seed Cougars got those three runs back in the top of the second, but would be held scoreless the remainder of the game.

Neither team could break through for the next two and a half innings, but the regular season champs doubled their score in the bottom of the fifth inning, and that would prove to be the difference.

With one out and the bases loaded, Cody McSwain entered the game as a pinch hitter for James Dodd. McSwain was able to draw a walk, allowing Hunter Beecham – pinch running for McCall – to cross the plate and break the tie.

The leadoff hitter Bryce Lester would step up to the plate with two outs and hit a single, bringing in Sanders and Collin McPherson.

Jacob Sawyers got the start on the mound and went eight complete innings, striking out four batters. Landon Sewell entered the game in the ninth inning and earned the save with one strikeout.

The win propelled the Lions to the AMC title game where they await the winner of the Columbia vs. Central Baptist/Missouri Baptist winner. Central Baptist and Missouri Baptist are currently playing, with the winner to face Columbia at 6 p.m. The championship game will take place on Sunday with the Lions needing to lose twice in order to not win the title. That game time is yet to be determined.