The No. 11 Lindenwood baseball team (33-7) took down No. 5 Illinois Springfield (37-6) with a wild 8-6 victory on Sunday to claim the 2021 GLVC Championship at Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Mo.
 
GAME OVERVIEW
The Prairie State jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning, as all were unearned.  Illinois Springfield added another run in the top of the third, but the Lions showed life in the bottom half of the inning after an RBI single by Bryce Beckmann made it a 4-1 game.  Will Lanxon drove in a run in the bottom of the fourth, before Alex Gauspohl made it one-run deficit when he scored on a fielder's choice.  Jacob Thompson pitched 6.0 quality innings in relief, as he allowed just two runs on two hits.
 
Lindenwood surrendered a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to fall behind 6-3, but the Lions never went away.  After a hit-by-pitch and a walk, Mitchell Krebs registered a pinch-hit single to load the bases.  The crowd erupted in hopes of a comeback, and the Lions score the first run of the inning on a bases-loaded walk by Lanxon to make it 6-4 ballgame.
 
Beau Collier singled to right field, which brought in a pair of runs to tie the game at 6-6 with one out.  As Lanxon stood on third base, Kolby Schulte hit a fly ball to right field, which led to a play at the plate.  The original call on the field was an out at the plate, but after a review, the umpires concluded that Lanxon was able to score the go-ahead run as Lindenwood held a 7-6 lead.  Beckmann added an insurance run in the inning to make it an 8-6 lead heading into the top of the ninth.  Justin Taylor struck out two batters and got the GLVC Player of the Year to fly out, securing the GLVC title for the Lions.
 
QUOTABLE
"We have some tough guys on this team, both physically and mentally," said head coach Doug Bletcher.  "Some things didn't go well early, but we talk about showing character when we are at our lowest.  We have seen guys fight through adversity and fight through pain all year.  When guys play for each other and not themselves, that's what championship teams are made of.  It's a long career that I've had so far, I have a tough time recalling any team as resilient and as tough as this team."
 
GAME LEADERS
Beau Collier (3-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB)
Bryce Beckmann (2-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 SB)
Will Lanxon (1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 SB)
 
UP NEXT
Lindenwood will move on to the 2021 NCAA Regional Tournament, which will be played on May 27-30 at Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Mo.