BOLIVAR, Mo. (April 25, 2017)-- Central Missouri scored four runs in the fifth and eighth inning to secure a 9-7 win and complete a season sweep of Southwest Baptist Tuesday afternoon at Dodson Field. Both teams put up 13 hits but the Mules had no errors on the day compared to SBU's three.
The Mules (30-12, 21-9 MIAA) got on the board early as SBU (28-15, 18-12 MIAA) had back-to-back errors to start the game.
Travis Stroup hit a SAC bunt to advance
Travis Able and
Erik Webb, then a RBI groundout by
Collin Nevil brought home Webb to give UCM the 1-0 lead.
The Bearcats struggled in the first three innings as they went scoreless and only had three hits. The Mules struggled as well after the first inning only getting three hits through the next three innings.
Things got interesting in the home half of the fourth as SBU loaded the bases. Hunter Hisky and Chance Wolfe both hit singles to center field to start the inning, while Andrew Meir was hit by pitch to load the bases for the Bearcats.
Brandon Reid answered for the Mules striking out the next two batters before a pop up to second base ended the inning.
UCM got its bats going in the top of the fifth with four runs on four hits to lead 5-0 over SBU.
Jackson Schnurbusch hit a leadoff single to left field and advanced to second on a throwing error. Able plated him home with a two-run homer to center field. After a single through the left side by Webb, Stroup homered to left field to give the Mules a five-run lead.
SBU ended UCM's chance at shutout in the home half of the fifth frame. Clint Jack hit a leadoff single and was brought in on a RBI double by Hisky to right field. After a Mules pitching change, Wolfe plated in the next two runs with a double to bring the Mules lead to 5-3.
The Mules struggled in the top of sixth getting just one hit and leaving two runners stranded. SBU capitalized in the bottom of the sixth as they tied the game 5-5. Massey was walked for SBU and the help of back-to-back singles brought him in. Hisky then plated in the tying run with a double to right field.
UCM got two runners on base in the seventh as Webb was hit by pitch and
Justin Graff-Rowe was intentionally walked. Both were able to steal second and Webb got to third on a fly out to right field by Nevil, but they were left stranded.
SBU took its first lead of the game in the home half as three of the first four batters were hit by pitch and Jack was walked to give the Bearcats a 6-5 lead through seven innings.
The Mules retook the lead in the eighth scoring four runs.
Cole Distler tripled down the right field line and was brought home on a Schnurbusch home run to left field. Webb made the score 8-6 as he singled up the left side to plate in
Mason Janvrin. Graff-Rowe scored the final run for the Mules with a RBI single to left field to bring in Webb.
SBU added one run in the ninth with a solo homerun by Nelson Muniz before the Mules ended the game.
JJ Benes got his third save of the season as he pitched the final two innings getting two strikeouts, while
Ben Kelsch (3-1) picked up the win.
Calvin Lovig (3-1) took the loss for SBU after giving up two runs on one hit in the eighth inning.
Webb finished 2-for-3 with two hits and a RBI. Able, Stroup, and Schnurbusch each had a two-run home run, while Nevil and Graff-Rowe both had an RBI.
The Mules will be back in action this weekend for a three-game series at Missouri Western. Friday's game is slated for a 7 p.m. start, while Saturday and Sunday's games will both begin at 1 p.m.
