Box Score (WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball team rebounded from their first loss of the season to sweep an MIAA doubleheader from Missouri Western on Sunday afternoon at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field. The Mules took the opener 11-0 before rallying from six runs down to take the nightcap 9-8 in walk-off fashion.
            Central Missouri (6-1, 2-1 MIAA) broke a scoreless tie in the first game with a five-run third inning. Jon Cotter doubled with the bases loaded to bring in two runs before Bret Schwartz followed it up with an RBI single to center. Albert Selanders added an RBI single in the frame to make it 4-0 before Jordan Coons stole home when Selanders stole second.
            The Mules broke the game wide open in the sixth when six runs crossed the plate. Schwartz cleared the bases with a single to center that was misplayed allowing three runs to cross the plate. John Oropeza drove Schwartz in with a sacrifice fly to make it 9-0 and Brad Wilson added a two-run single to make it 11-0, which was more than enough for Mules' starter Kurtis Schuyler. He pitched a complete game five-hitter with two walks and four strikeouts to earn his first win of the season.
            Brandon Simmons was tagged with the loss for Missouri Western (5-5, 1-2 MIAA) after giving up five runs on six hits in five innings of work. He walked four batters and fanned three.
            Schwartz, Selanders and Ben Cox each had two hits in the game, while Schwartz drove in three runs. Cotter and Wilson had two RBI each.
            The Mules fell behind early in game two when the Griffs plated four runs, only two earned, in the second inning. Missouri Western added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Grant Fink led off the fourth with a home run to make it 5-0 and Nate Ramler launched a homer in the fifth to make it 6-0.
            The Mules got on the board and then some in the sixth inning as they plated seven runs, including five with two outs to take a 7-6 lead.
            Coons had a run-scoring fielder's choice to get UCM on the board as did Cox to make it 6-2 with two outs. Kevin Gratza had a two-strike RBI single to right to make it 6-3 and keep the rally alive. Kyle Grieshaber added another two-out two-strike RBI single to make it 6-4 and Cotter launched a three-run home run to left field, his first of the season, to give the Mules a 7-6 lead.
            The Griffons responded though plating two runs in the top of the seventh to regain the lead at 8-7. Ramler had a two-run single to give Missouri Western the lead.
            Oropeza led off the seventh and reached on a throwing error by the shortstop. Coons followed that with a single to left to give the Mules runners at first and second with no one out. Both runners moved up 90 feet on a balk to put the winning run on second base. After Selanders walked to load the bases, Wilson launched a ball to right center that the right fielder couldn't come up with and two runs scored to give the Mules a 9-8 win and a sweep of the doubleheader.
            Travis Unthank (1-0) picked up the win in relief after allowing two runs on two hits in one inning. Starter Adam Maddox lasted 3.0 innings giving up four runs, only two earned, on four hits. He did strike out three with no walks. Aaron Baker gave up two runs on four hits in 3.0 innings of relief.
            Jake Jones (0-1) took the loss after giving up two runs in just 0.1 innings. MWSU starter Nik Jurado allowed seven runs, none of them earned, on 10 hits in 5.2 innings pitched.
            The series wraps up on Monday afternoon with a single nine-inning game starting at 1 p.m. at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.