Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  | Season Stats

EDMOND, Okla. -- The 17th-ranked Central Missouri Mules swept an MIAA doubleheader from Central Oklahoma and in the process claimed the MIAA Regular Season Championship outright. The Mules won the opener 5-2 before holding off a late Broncho rally for an 8-7 win the nightcap.

In the opener, UCM (34-14, 31-8 MIAA) got out to a 3-0 lead on Jake Alexander's bases loaded double in the second inning. The Bronchos (34-13, 26-13 MIAA) got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Ryan Stoup's RBI single and another in the third on Jake O'Brien's RBI double to make it 3-2.

The Mules tacked on two more runs in the fifth on a Kevin Gratza home run to right center to make it 5-2.

Kyle Gehrs (7-3) picked up the win after allowing two runs on nine hits in 5.2 inning pitched. Zach Davis gave up two hits and struck out two in 1.1 innings of relief to earn his 10th save of the season.

Jared Sterling (6-3) took the loss for UCO after giving up five runs, three earned, on five hits in six innings.

The Mules jumped on top 1-0 in the first inning of game two on Gratza's RBI single to right. The Bronchos tied the game in the bottom of the second when Josh Ingram scored on a UCM fielding error. The Mules responded quickly, plating two runs in the third inning on a Tony Sandifer RBI double and Gratza RBI single to make it 3-1.

Sandifer added a two-run single in the fourth to make it 5-1 in favor of UCM, but Central Oklahoma came right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back home runs from Brad Lamberti and Dylan Raper to make it 5-4.

Central Missouri put up three more runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 8-4. Trevor Jones coaxed a bases loaded walk to force in a run and Jake Alexander added a two-run single in the inning.

The Bronchos rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh on Dilon Argo's home run to left center, but Davis came on to record the final out and earn his 11th save of the year.

Kurtis Schuyler (7-2) earned the win for UCM after giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits. AJ Walkenhorst allowed three runs on a hit with five strikeouts in 2.2 innings of relief.

Ethan Sharp (0-1) took the loss for UCO after giving up three runs on eight hits in 2.2 innings.

Alexander and Maas each recorded four hits on the day, while Alexander added five RBI and Gratza drove in four.

Davis' 11 saves are tied for the second most in a single season in UCM history with Nick Webber (2005) and Chris Matlock (2008). He now has 18 saves for his career, third most in school history. Schuyler's seventh win of the season gives him 26 in his career, tying him for sixth most all-time at Central Missouri with Jason Herz (1999-02).

The series concludes on Sunday with a single nine-inning game. Start time has been pushed back one hour and will now be at 2 p.m.