ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T's baseball team fell behind early and had its late rally effort come up short as it dropped an 8-4 non-conference decision Wednesday afternoon at Missouri Southern.

The Lions (12-5) jumped out in front by scoring twice in each of the first two innings and posting a single run in the third as nine of Southern's first 18 hitters reached base by hit or walk.

S&T (6-4) was held to one hit over the first four innings by MSSU starter Cole Gaeke, but got on the board in the fifth when Doug Wood (Liberty, MO/Liberty North) singled to the opposite field with one out and came around to score on Kaleb Reid's (Smithville, MO/Smithville) triple.  However, after the Miners missed a chance to further cut into the lead in the sixth, the Lions got solo home runs from Richard Fullerton and Denver Coffee in the bottom half of that inning to add to their advantage.

The Miners scored again in the seventh when Gruse doubled for the second time in the game to score Wood, who had opened the inning with a double of his own.  In the eighth, the Miners got to within 8-4 when Jason Volkmann (Liberty, MO/Liberty) hit his first career home run with a man on.

S&T threatened again when it got two runners on base in the ninth, but a double play ended that opportunity.

The Lions outhit the Miners 12-8 in the contest.  Gruse had three hits for S&T, while Volkmann and Wood had two apiece.

Starting pitcher Chasen Anderson (Moscow Mills, MO/Troy Buchanan) took the loss for S&T, who is scheduled to return to action Sunday when it opens its Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule against William Jewell; that series has been relocated to Joplin, Mo.  The Miners and Cardinals will play a doubleheader at noon Sunday and a single contest Monday at Joe Becker Stadium, with the first pitch at noon on both days.