The Lindenwood baseball team split its doubleheader on Thursday against Missouri Western with an 11-3 win and a 7-4 loss in St. Joseph, Mo.
 
Game One Overview: Lindenwood 11, Missouri Western 3
The Lions continued their recent way of scoring early after Ryan Sosnowski drove in two runs on a double to left center in the second inning.  Wes Degener hit a two-RBI double of his own and later scored on a double to left center by Neil Fischer to give Lindenwood an early 5-0 lead.  Missouri Western cut into the lead with a run in the bottom of the second and another in the bottom of the fourth to make it a two-run ballgame.
 
Drew Quinones hit his 14th-career triple to bring in Degener and then crossed the plate two batters later.  Sosnowski added two more runs with a single through the left side as Lindenwood took a commanding 9-3 after six innings.  The Lions added a run in the seventh and in the ninth to seal an 11-3 victory in game one.
 
Game One Leaders
Ryan Sosnowski (3-for-5, 4 RBI, 1 R, 2 2B)
Wes Degener (3-for-4, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 3B)
Neil Fischer (3-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 R, 2 2B)
 
Game Two Overview: Missouri Western 7, Lindenwood 4
The Griffons quickly responded in the second game by scoring three runs on four hits in the bottom of the second inning.  Drew Quinones drove in a pair of runs on a single to right center to cut the deficit to 3-2.  Missouri Western regained its buffer with a run in the bottom of the third and another in the bottom of the fifth inning to go ahead 5-2.
 
Ian Nelson drove in Neil Fischer on a single after Fischer tripled to right center to pull within in two runs.  Again, the Griffons added an insurance run, but the Lions kept fighting.  Brett Anderson doubled to right center and later scored on a single by DJ Miller.  Lindenwood surrendered another run in the bottom of the eighth inning and could not keep up with the Griffons in a 7-4 loss in the second game.
 
Game Two Leaders
Drew Quinones (2-for-4, 2 RBI)
Brett Andersen (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B)
Vince Saladino (2-for-4)
 
Up Next
Lindenwood moves to 18-19 on the year and 10-15 in the MIAA while Missouri Western stands at 19-18 on the season and 12-12 in conference play.  The Lions and Griffons will decide the series on Friday at 12 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo.