The Lindenwood baseball team struggled to prevent the Bearcats from scoring and made a fierce run late in the game but it was too little too late as the Lions fell 9-8 on Sunday.

The Lions traded runs with the Bearcats in the first inning and were tied 1-1 after one.  Southwest Baptist took control of the game as they put up one run in the top of the second and three runs in the forth to take a 5-1 lead.  The Lions surrendered a run in the fifth and another in the sixth to fall behind 7-1 after six and committed three fielding errors in that span.

Lindenwood began to fight back in the bottom of the seventh.  With Nathan Prindle on first, Wade Rothermich hit a double off the centerfield wall and Prindle was held at third.  Drew Quinones followed with a double down the left field line to drive in both Prindle and Rothermich and pull within four runs.  The Lions had their best chance of the game in the top of the eighth inning as Michael Bibbs led off with a double to left center and scored on a Wes Degener single to cut into the Bearcat lead.  Down 7-4 the Lions had bases loaded with two outs but a hard hit lineout by Quinones ended the threat.

The Lions were able to stay within four heading into the bottom of the ninth.  Ryan Light was hit by a pitch to start the innings and Mike Wilson reached on an infield single.  Bibbs saw four pitches resulting in a walk to load the bases with no outs.  Zac Perkins came up with one out and bases load to deliver a two-RBI double.  Degener drove in Bibbs on a sacrifice fly and Perkins stood at third as the tying run with two outs. 

Prindle came through in the clutch with a single to left field to bring in Perkins to tie the game at 8-8 in the bottom of the ninth and force extra frames.  The Lions had a chance in the bottom of the 10th with a runner on third and two outs but could not drive him in.  Southwest Baptist scored a run in the top of the 11^th to take a 9-8 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.  The Lions could not complete the comeback and failed to sweep Southwest Baptist on Sunday falling 9-8 in extra innings. 

The Loss places the Lions at 21-19 on the year at 12-12 in the MIAA.  The Lions will travel to Kearney, Neb. next weekend to take on Nebraska Kearney for a four-game series beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday.