Pittsburg baseball improved to 8-12 and 7-4 in the Southeast Kansas League after winning 8-2 against host Independence on Monday.

Beck Fern earned the win and he allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits with nine strikeouts and one walk over 6 2/3 innings. Landen Proffitt came on in relief and shut the door with the final out in the seventh.

The Purple Dragons scored four runs in the fourth and three in the sixth to change a 2-1 deficit into an 8-2 advantage.

Cole Hayden led the Dragons with three hits and Fern and Proffitt each had two. Christian Krogen, Kash O'Brien, Jason Owens and Kane See each rounded out Pittsburg's 11-hit attack with one.

Hayden and Fern each drove in two runs and O'Brien, See, Alex Hinspeter and Proffitt each collected one RBI. Proffitt and courtesy runner Luke Jones each scored two runs and Krogen, O'Brien, Hayden and Owens each scored one. Proffitt and Jones each stole two bases.

Kamen Sprague finished with two hits and drove in both Independence runs.

The Dragons returned to the road Tuesday for their league finale against Labette County. Pittsburg won the earlier meeting 7-1 last Tuesday at historic Jaycee Ballpark, led by Fern's performance on the mound and Krogen's three runs scored and two RBI.

Pittsburg closes out regular-season play Wednesday at home against Nevada, Mo. The Tigers are 19-6 on the season after their 9-4 loss Monday at Joplin, Mo.

Pittsburg 010 403 0 — 8 11 4

Independence 101 000 0 — 2 6 0

Noah Edington, Bryor Botts (4), Dylan Merrick (6) and Brock Sanders; Beck Fern, Landen Proffitt (7) and Max Busch. W: Fern. L: Edington. 2B—PHS: Proffitt. 3B—IHS: Kamen Sprague.

This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/