MARYVILLE, Mo. (March 27, 2017) –
Matt Safranek hit his first home run of the season and
Erik Webb drove in three runs to help 10th-ranked Central Missouri to a 9-4 win in the series finale against Northwest Missouri State on Monday afternoon at Bearcat Field. The win gave the Mules a series victory, their fifth straight to start MIAA play.
Northwest Missouri (16-10, 5-8 MIAA) struck first with a run-scoring double off the bat of Landon Figg to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
The Mules (20-6, 12-4 MIAA) answered in the top of the fourth, however, scoring five times to take a 5-1 lead.
Collin Nevil led off with a single and scored on Safranek's home run to left center to put UCM in front. Later in the inning a dropped third strike allowed the Mules to load the bases with two outs. Webb took advantage, lacing a double to the gap in right center to clear the bases and give the Mules the four-run cushion.
The Bearcats got a run back in the bottom half of the inning on a Kolby Greenslade sacrifice fly, but Nevil led off the top of the fifth with his ninth home run of the season and the Mules led 6-2.
Matt Elliott doubled and later scored on
Travis Able's double to the right-center field gap and the Mules increased the lead to 7-2.
The Bearcats plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth on back-to-back solo home runs from Figg and Luke Hassman to pull within 7-4, but they would get no closer.
Nevil walked to lead off the top of the seventh. He went to second on a groundout and stole third before scoring on a balk to give UCM an 8-4 advantage. The Mules made it 9-4 in the ninth when Webb led off with a double, went to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch.
The Mules finished with 10 hits on the day including five for extra bases.
Taylor Burns (4-2) picked up the win for the Mules, allowing four runs on six hits in five innings of work. He walked four and struck out four.
Luke Mercer and
Tayler Ross each pitched two scoreless innings of relief allowing two hits apiece. Mercer struck out one and walked one, while Ross fanned three.
Brad Roberts (3-4) took the loss for Northwest Missouri after surrendering seven runs on eight hits in four innings.
The Mules get right back to action on Tuesday night hosting Drury in a non-conference game. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
