HAYS, Kan. (Feb. 27, 2016) -- The Mules scored four runs in the third inning and broke the game open with four more in the fifth en route to a 14-0 win over Fort Hays State on Saturday afternoon to even their series at a game apiece. The Mules out-hit the Tigers 11-6 in the win.

Ethan Westphal (1-1) pitched out of jams in the first and second inning to keep the game scoreless and in the third his offense rewarded him with a 4-0 lead. Matt Elliott's RBI double got the Mules (2-6, 1-1 MIAA) on the board, scoring Dusty Maas. Jake Alexander added an RBI sacrifice bunt to make it 2-0 and Bennett Oliver homered to left center to make it 4-0.

The Mules broke the game open with four more runs in the fifth. Alexander's RBI double started the scoring. Derek Cornell added an RBI single and he later scored when Cole Distler stole second base. Jackson Schnurbusch capped the inning with an RBI single to centerfield to make it 8-0 in favor of UCM.

Central Missouri added three more runs in the sixth for an 11-0 lead. Cornell drew a bases loaded walk to plate the first run. Distler drove in another run with an infield single and Maas completed the scoring drawing another bases loaded walk.

UCM capped the scoring with three more runs in the seventh. Distler drove in his second and third runs of the game with a double to right and Cornell later scored on a wild pitch for the 14-0 final. 

Westphal pitched a complete-game, scattering six hits and striking out eight to pick up his first win of the season.

Kyle Vogt (0-2) took the loss for FHSU after allowing eight runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings pitched.

Distler, Elliott and Dylan Farrell all had two hits each. Distler led the Mules with three RBI, while Alexander, Cornell and Oliver all had two.

The teams wrap up the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch at Larks Park in Hays.