PITTSBURG — Outfielders Eric Bacon and Dagen Brewer combined for three home runs and nine RBI, delivering an offensive punch to propel No. 1/2 Pittsburg State University to a 12-6 win over Missouri Southern State University Wednesday (Mar. 25).
 
The Gorillas (26-3, 15-3 MIAA) snapped a modest seven-game winning streak by the visiting Lions (16-11, 8-6 MIAA) at Al Ortolani Field.
 
Grant Nottlemann smacked a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, after MSSU's Brayden Luikart hit a solo blast off Gorillas starter Elijah Seitz in the top of the frame for an early 1-0 lead.
 
The Lons Aiden Hinkle added a two-run homer in the third for a 3-2 MSSU Lead, but Brewer countered with a three-run blast to give Pitt State a 5-3 edge after three innings of play.
 
Bacon, who leapt above the wall to rob a home run from MSSU's Jason Lazo in the top of the fourth, delivered a grand slam in the home half of the inning for a 9-3 lead. Brewer then went back-to-back off MSSU reliever Carter Stover with a solo shot six pitches later to extend it to a seven-run advantage.
 
The Lions picked up single runs in the fifth and seventh frames, but the Gorillas countered with an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh when MSSU elected to intentionally walk Brewer with the bases loaded.
 
Andrew Branson added a run-scoring infield single in the eighth for the game's final run.
 
Brewer and Nottlemann had three hits apiece in the contest, while Jadyn McNeeley, Bacon and Branson registered two hits each.
 
Cason Long (2-0) picked up his second win of the year on the mound. Long allowed one run in 2.0 innings of relief work. Brady Steuwe, Bradley Neill, Ethan Froud and Cooper Crouch limited the Lions to two runs (one earned) over the final four innings of play.
 
The Gorillas will hit the road Friday (Mar. 27) for Maryville, Mo., for a three-game MIAA series against Northwest Missouri State University.