KYLE RHINE | Reporter

The Lindenwood baseball team fell to conference opponent Central Oklahoma 4-3 on Thursday afternoon in Edmond, Oklahoma, after blowing the 3-2 lead in the ninth inning.

Ian Nelson got the Lions out to an early 1-0 lead in the second inning on a home run to right field, Nelson’s first of the season.

Blake Beckmann started on the mound for Lindenwood lasting four and a third innings allowing no runs, five hits, three walks, and four strikeouts. Kyle Hentis came in relief for Beckmann in the fifth inning.

The Lions added to its 1-0 lead in the seventh inning when Ryan Sosnowski doubled to left field scoring Dominic Revetta. Lindenwood added one more run when Vince Saladino scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0 Lions heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Central Oklahoma came back with a run of its own in the bottom of the seventh inning trimming the Lions’ lead to 3-1. After the Lions failed to score in the top of the eighth inning, Central Oklahoma scored a run to cut Lindenwood’s lead to 3-2 heading into the ninth inning.

In the bottom the ninth, Central Oklahoma tied the game on a one-out bases-loaded walk from pitcher Marshall Shill. After a strikeout, the next batter singled with two outs to score the game-winning run as Central Oklahoma took game one of the series.

Following the loss, the Lions are 13-15 and look to bounce back in game two of the series at 3 p.m. on Friday at Wendell Simmons Field in Edmond, Oklahoma.