JOPLIN, MO – The UIndy baseball team hit the road to Joplin, MO this weekend for The Lion Classic Tournament hosted by Missouri Southern. The Greyhounds dropped its first game against Minnesota State before a bounce back eighth inning comeback win over host Missouri Southern.

Joey Humphrey, who came in as a pinch hitter in game two, smashed his first home run in the Crimson and Grey after a drive to left field tied the game at two in the eighth, which started the Greyhounds' comeback. This is Humphrey's first collegiate home run since 2023 when he hit a three-run bomb against Coker at his previous school, Belmont Abbey.

Today's games against Minnesota State and Missouri Southern marked the first time UIndy has played either team in its program history.

GAME 1 | UIndy 1, Minnesota State 2
The Greyhounds' first game of the day was pitchers dual with both starting pitchers tossing a quality start, and only allowing seven hits combined between the two. For the second straight weekend, Kaleb Marrs, the West Vigo transfer made a start on the bump, and threw six innings, allowing three hits, two runs while punching out two today against the Mavericks.

Minnesota State managed two runs off of Marrs after a big first inning that saw four runners reach base, with the Mavericks knocking in two runs on a Louis Magers RBI triple and a Marcus Beatty sacrifice fly.

UIndy only managed one hit through the first five frames of action, but finally found its lone run of the first game on Friday after a bases loaded walk brought home Chase Mason to cut the Mavericks' deficit in half, making it 2-1.

Drake Downing and Griffin Hallahan were able to keep the Mavericks at bay for the rest of the afternoon only allowing two hits combined over the final three innings, but were unable to close things out due to Brady Nelson's three inning, six strike out relief effort for the Mavericks that was enough to seal things for Minnesota State.

GAME 2 | UIndy 5, Missouri Southern 3
Newcomer Carter Thomas extended his hit streak to five after he drove in his second RBI of the season in the second inning to give the Hounds an early 1-0 lead.

Ryan O'Born started on the mound for the Hounds in game two, and pitched a stellar 4 2/3 innings, only allowing one hit through his first four innings pitched. But the Lions were able to snatch two runs off O'Born in the fifth after a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly gave Missouri Southern a 2-1 lead after five.

With the Lions leading 2-1 with one out in the eighth, Humphrey stepped up to the plate in his first at bat of the day to square the game at 2-2 with a solo home run to left field, sparking an eighth inning for the Greyhounds. Austin Pokley and Mason continued the eighth inning scoring efforts, driving in two more runs to push the Hounds' lead to 4-2, while Bowen added an insurance solo home run in the ninth to seal the Greyhounds' Friday afternoon comeback.

UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will have a day off before returning to action on Sunday Feb. 15 against Minnesota State, where UIndy will look for a bounce back effort against the Mavericks after today's loss.