The Lindenwood baseball team lost a heartbreaker to No. 12 Central Missouri by a 12-9 final in 13 innings on Tuesday night in Warrensburg, Mo.
 
Wes Degener was a triple away from hitting for the cycle as he went 5-for-7 including a two-run home run.  Nick Paulda was the only other Lion with multiple hits after going 2-for-4 with two RBI and walked two times.  The Lions had 12 hits in the game and left 12 runners stranded while the Mules had 14 hits with seven runners left on base.
 
Lindenwood shocked the Mules in the sixth inning with an offensive push that was started by a Degener double.  Drew Quinones drove in Degener on a double two batters later to put the Lions up 1-0.  Rayce Singbush, Sam Baxter, and Paulda each drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in three more runs and give Lindenwood a four-run advantage.  Paul Sherwood beat out a double play attempt by the Mules to bring in Singbush and Degener tallied his second hit of the inning to drive in Baxter and put the Lions ahead 6-0.
 
Central Missouri posted a run in the bottom of the third inning to pull within five runs, but Lindenwood built on its lead in the fifth frame.  Degener hammered a 0-1 pitch over the right field wall to add two more runs on the board for the Lions.  The Mules took advantage of a fielding error by the Lions in the bottom of the fifth and poured on four runs on just one hit to pull within three runs.  Central Missouri added a run in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Lions went to the pen to rely on Connor Law to maintain the 8-6 lead.
 
Paulda hit a single in the top of the ninth to put Lindenwood up 9-6, but the Mules fought until the last out of the final inning as a three-run home run tied the game at 9-9 and forced extra innings.  Central Missouri hit another three-run home run in the bottom of the 13th inning to take the mid-week game 12-9.
 
Lindenwood falls to 15-10 on the season and 8-5 in the MIAA while No. 12 Central Missouri moves to 18-5 on the year and 10-3 in conference play.