The Lindenwood baseball team fell in its second contest at the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championships in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Lions lost to West Chester by a 5-2 score on Monday evening.
 
The contest was a pitchers duel throughout, with the starters working at least seven innings before the game turned into a battle of the closers. West Chester eventually broke through in the bottom of the eighth with four runs that decided the contest.
 
Lindenwood scored first by pushing a run across in the first inning. Wes Degener led the game off with a single. Tyler Muehling hit into a fielder's choice for the first out, but advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a walk, Drew Quinones singled to score Muehling.
 
The Golden Rams quickly answered, scoring in the bottom half of the first. A pair of one-out singles put two runners on. A groundout advanced the runners to scoring position, and a wild pitch scored the runner at third.
 
Lindenwood starter Andrew Eilers was superb after that first inning. He did not allow another hit as he finished the game with six innings pitched. His biggest jam was in the fifth inning when he hit two straight batters, but he got a groundout to get out of the inning.
 
The Lions' offense couldn't take advantage of Eilers' performance, as it couldn't get another lead. Its best chance came in the second when Degener hit a line drive with a runner at third, but West Chester's shortstop made a leaping grab for the third out. Lindenwood had at least one runner in every inning but one through the seventh, but couldn't get a clutch hit.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Eilers departed after hitting the leadoff batter. A single and wild pitch put runners at third and second with no one out. Connor Law struck out three straight batters after that to keep the game tied.
 
Law could not get out of a similar situation one inning later. The key play in the inning came with runners on first and second and no one out. The Golden Rams bunted and Lindenwood had a chance to get the lead runner. A bad throw though allowed the game-winning run to score. West Chester's next three batters all reached base, and four runs scored before the Lions could get out the inning.
 
Lindenwood got one run back in the ninth when Paul Sherwood drove in Rayce Singbush with a single. The Lions came up one runner shy though of bringing up the tying run.
 
The two teams combined for just 12 hits in the game, with the Lions having six. Degener was the only player for Lindenwood with multiple hits as he had two.
 
The Lions, who are now 40-19 on the season, will play again in the double-elimination tournament on Wednesday at 3 p.m. They will be taking on the winner of tomorrow's Quincy/UC San Diego elimination game.
 
 
 

Andrew Eilers pitched well and the offense hit the ball hard, but @LULIONSBASEBALL lost 5-2 on Monday. pic.twitter.com/aQGTldxmqB

— Lindenwood Athletics (@LU_Lions) May 30, 2017