WARRENSBURG, Mo. (March 28, 2017) --
Collin Nevil hit a two-run inside the park home run in the seventh to pull 10th-ranked Central Missouri within one, but they couldn't come all the way back and fell to Drury 6-5 on Tuesday night at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The game was a pitcher's duel in the early going with both teams scoreless through four innings. Drury (16-7) broke through in the fifth when Shane Benes reached on an error with the bases loaded to drive in a run. The Panthers still had the bags loaded with one out, but a 6-4-3 double play on the next at-bat ended the inning and kept it 1-0 Panthers.
Drury put up four runs in the sixth to open a 5-0 lead. Riley Herron hit a two-run home run to make it 3-0 and Clayton Engel made it back-to-back and a 4-0 Drury lead. The Panthers added an unearned run later in the frame and had the five-run cushion.
The Mules (20-7) got on the board in the sixth thanks to an RBI groundout from
Cole Distler and a run-scoring double off the bat of
Matt Elliott. Drury came back to score what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the seventh. Nic Perkins led off with a single and after two quick outs, stole second base, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Dylan Bradshaw's single to right to make it 6-2.
The Mules had a couple of infield single to start the seventh. The runners both moved up 90 feet on
Erik Webb's sacrifice bunt and
Blake Wilfong scored on
Travis Stroup's sac fly to pull UCM within three.
Collin Nevil then hit an inside the park, two-run home run to pull UCM within 6-5. He hit a high fly ball to right that banged off the top of the wall and rolled back toward the infield. Nevil came all the way around to score to get the Mules within a run, but they would get no closer.
Brandon Reid (0-1) took the loss after allowing one run on three hits in 4.1 innings of work. He walked three and struck out three.
Avery Jennings (1-0) picked up the win for Drury going 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on six hits with a pair of strikeouts.
The Mules return to action on Wednesday when they travel to St. Charles for a 1 p.m. game against Lindenwood. It is the second game of a three-game midweek MIAA series.
