KYLE RHINE | Reporter

The Lindenwood baseball team fell 6-5 in extra innings Friday afternoon to conference opponent Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Kyle Hentis started for the Lions, lasting five innings allowing four earned runs, three hits, six strikeouts and four walks.

Pittsburg State led Lindenwood 4-2 in the fifth, but a home run by catcher Ryan Sosnowski, his first of the season, cut the Gorillas’ lead to one.

Lindenwood would surrender a run in the 6^th inning and find itself two runs down going into the 8^th inning. The Lions had bases loaded and center fielder Wes Degener walked scoring Ian Nelson to trim the Gorillas’ lead to 5-4.

Rayce Singbush scored the tying run in the ninth inning on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Conor Behrens forcing the game to extra innings.

In the 11^th inning, the Gorillas walked off on a wild pitch from Lucas Tibbs winning the first game of the three-game series.

Following Friday’s loss, the Lions dropped the second game of the series 7-5 Saturday afternoon as the Gorillas broke the tie in the seventh inning.

Andrew Eilers started for the Lions going six innings allowing six runs, five earned, nine hits, six strikeouts and one walk. Eilers is now (1-1) for the season.

Catcher Nick Paulda smashed his first collegiate home run in the third inning. Paulda went 1-3 in the loss.

Lindenwood avoided the sweep on Sunday, as the Lions cruised past Pittsburg State 7-2 behind D.J. Miller’s two-run home run in the second inning.

Tyler Cassmeyer made his fourth start of the season, lasting seven innings allowing eight hits, two runs, seven strikeouts and two walks. Cassmeyer is 3-1 on the season.

The Lions next game will be against the University of Illinois-Springfield at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 7 in Springfield, Illinois.