Mules Complete Three-Game Sweep of Warriors

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 18, 2018) - On a windy afternoon in Warrensburg, Central Missouri Mules Baseball pitched a gem en route to a 4-2 win over Winona State and three-game sweep of the Warriors. The win puts UCM at 6-2 this season.

Play-by-Play
• For the third time, the Warriors got the scoring started. They plated a run in the second on a two-out RBI single by Nick Nalewanski.
• The Mules answered right away putting up three in the bottom half of the inning. Cole Hoover and Elijah Dilday produced two runs on productive outs and Dalton Dull drove in Harrison Schnurbusch with an RBI single to make it a 3-1 game.
• Winona State got closer in the third getting a run on three hits. Mules starter Bryce Kearns stranded two runners to end the threat.
• After that it was a battle of the bullpens. Each team threatened leaving a combined 20 runners on base.
• Central Missouri got an insurance run in the seventh. Cole Taylor led off with a tripled to right center, and Justin Graff-Rowe scored him with an RBI ground out.
• Coby Seiz and Luke Mercer pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, and the Mules took the series finale, 4-2.

Mules Stat Leaders
• Central Missouri knocked nine hits getting two apiece from Collin Nevil, Ryan Toliver and Taylor. Taylor also scored a pair of runs.
• Dull finished the day 1-3 with an RBI and a stolen base.
• Bryce Kearns got the start and threw four innings, giving up two runs on six hits with five strikeouts.
• BJ Sparks entered and tossed 2.1 scoreless innings, fanning two.
• Mercer worked a 1-2-3 ninth while striking out two for his third save of the season.

For the Warriors
• Andrew Pliner went 2-4 and reached base with a walk.
• Kipp Youngquist also collected two hits and scored a run.
• Aaron Mutter started and threw six innings, giving up four runs, three earned with two walks and a strikeout.
• Parker Holmstrom threw two hitless innings with a strikeout. 

News and Notes
• Central Missouri has now won five straight games, all at home.
• UCM left 12 runners on base, their most in a game this season.
• Three of the Mules four RBI came on outs.
• Mule pitchers struck out 10 batters. The bullpen tossed five scoreless innings, allowing two hits, two walks and struck out five.

Up Next
• Central Missouri is scheduled to play at Missouri S&T Tuesday, Feb. 20 starting at 1 p.m. The forecast is calling for rain though, so please continue to check www.UCMathletics.com and on Twitter @Mules_Baseball for any updates. UCM starts MIAA play next weekend, Feb. 23-25, when the host Missouri Western for a three-game set.