The Lindenwood baseball team defeated the Northeastern State RiverHawks 7-4 on Monday afternoon to force a series split at the Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Mo.

The Lions fell behind quickly in the second inning allowing three runs on two hits and five walks.  Lindenwood responded in the bottom of the third that started with a Zac Perkins walk.  Wes Degener followed with a fielder's choice that resulted in both runners being safe at first and second.  Nathan Prindle hit a single to shallow right center scoring Perkins in the process.  Degener and Prindle moved up on a Wade Rothermich groundout.  The Lions scored another run on a Mike Ehrhard sacrifice fly to right field and Drew Quinones singled to drive in Prindle and tie the game at 3-3.

Quinones started the sixth with a single and moved to third on a Mike Wilson single.  With runners at the corners and one out, Michael Bibbs pinch hit and laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Quinones.  The Lions took their first lead of the game and held a 4-3 lead after the sixth inning.

Brendan Kleekamp remained solid and completed a quick 1-2-3 seventh inning.  The momentum continued for the Lions as Degener led off the bottom of the inning with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch.  Rothermich drew a walk and forced a pitching change for the RiverHawks.  Ehrhard took the first pitch deep over the left field wall to power the Lions to a 7-3 lead after seven innings of play.

Northeastern State scored a run in the top of the eighth inning to make it a three run game heading into the final inning of play.  Rothermich came in to pitch the top of the ninth and shut down the RiverHawks to give the Lions the 7-4 victory and a split in the four-game series.

The Lions were led by Kleekamp who tossed 6 1/3 innings from the pen allowing just one run on four hits and four strikeouts.  Degener, Quinones, Wilson, and Prindle each had a monster weekend for the Lions.  The four combined for 25 hits, four doubles, and two home runs along with 15 RBI and 16 runs scored.

With the win the Lions move to 8-13 on the year and 2-6 in the MIAA.  The Lions will travel to Edmond, Okla. to take on Central Oklahoma in a four-game series starting Friday at 2:30 p.m.