HOUSTON, Texas -- For the third straight game Mules Baseball dropped a tight one-run game, this time falling 2-1 to sixth-ranked St. Cloud State on Sunday afternoon at Minute Maid Park. The loss drops UCM to 0-3 on the season by a combined three runs.
Much like Saturday's game, Sunday's affair was dominated by the pitchers. Mules' starter
Carlos D'Armas went 4.2 solid innings scattering four hits while striking out 10. He exited in the top of the fifth with the game scoreless.
Ross Juliana came on in relief and after a walk, he struck out Karl Sorensen to keep the game 0-0.
The Huskies (3-0) broke through in the sixth, scoring an unearned run off of Juliana to grab the lead. Zach Hoffmann singled to lead off the inning and came all the way around to score when the other Zak Hoffman's fly ball to left was dropped. The Huskies then put two on with no outs, but
Reece Ponak came on and got an unconventional 6-4-5-4 double play and a strikeout to keep it at 1-0.
SCSU added another unearned run in the seventh to make it 2-0. The Huskies had runners at first and second with no outs. Following a strikeout, Sorensen singled to center, but the ball got away from
Matt Elliott allowing Cody Rutledge to score. Ponak responded with a groundout and strikeout to keep UCM in striking distance.
The Mules finally broke through against Husky starter Sheldon Miks in the eighth inning. Elliott was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. He stole second, stole third and scored on
Brad Jelinek's groundout.
UCM put one runner on in the ninth with a two-out walk from
Jake Alexander, but the game ended with an SCSU 2-1 win.
D'Armas didn't factor in the decision after a double-digit strikeout performance. Juliana (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing one unearned run in a third of an inning. Ponak pitched four solid innings of relief, allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out five. UCM pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts and just three walks in the game.
Husky starter Miks (1-0) tossed a complete game scattering three hits and one run while striking out 12.
The Mules return to action next Friday, Feb. 12 taking on Oklahoma Christian and 14th-ranked Southern Arkansas in Magnolia, Arkansas.
