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HOUSTON, Texas -- Bennett Oliver hit a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to put Central Missouri in front as the 22nd-ranked Mules completed their comeback from a 5-0 deficit to defeat No. 38 St. Mary's 8-6 on Sunday at Minute Maid Park. The win gave the Mules a 2-2 record at the season-opening Houston Winter Invitational.
The Rattlers (2-2) jumped out to a 5-0 lead scoring a single run in the first inning on Derek Hamilton's RBI double and four more in the second, thanks in part to a Central Missouri error.
The Mules responded with five runs of their own in the third to tie the game.
Billy Maloney scored the first run of the game for UCM after leading off with a walk, he came around on back-to-back singles from
Dusty Maas and
Trevor Jones to make it 5-1.
Derek Cornell's sacrifice fly made it 5-2 and
Tony Sandifer added an RBI groundout to make it 5-3 with two outs.
Dylan Farrell then doubled over the head of the left fielder to extend the inning and
Matt Milner belted his first home run in a UCM uniform into the seats in right to tie the game at 5-all.
St. Mary's went back in front 6-5 on Brooks Orton's RBI infield single with two outs in the sixth inning. The lead stood until the seventh. The Mules loaded the bases with two outs when Oliver smacked a two-run single in to right field scoring Sandifer and
John Oliver to give UCM a 7-6 lead. The Mules added another run in the eighth to make it 8-6. Maas led off with a walk, stole second, and scored on Jones' RBI triple into the right field corner.
Lucas Williams (1-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing just one run on four hits in 5.1 innings. He walked just one and struck out seven.
Trevor Ezell recorded the final six outs of the game for his second save of the season.
Cole Hybner (0-1) took the loss for St. Mary's after giving up two runs on five hits in 3.2 innings of relief.
The Mules return to action with three in-region games next weekend in Magnolia, Arkansas. UCM will play ninth-ranked Southern Arkansas in a doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. and Lincoln in a non-conference game on Saturday, Feb. 14.
