WARRENSBURG, Mo. (March 17, 2018) - Fifth-ranked Central Missouri Mules Baseball split their day one doubleheader against MIAA foe Pittsburg State. The Mules had their seven game winning streak snapped as they dropped game one, 9-6, to the Gorillas, but they bounced back with a 13-9 game two win to tie the series, 1-1.Â
Game Two: Central Missouri 13, Pittsburg State 9
Play-by-Play
• Hitting the ball was not hard as the two teams combined for 27 hits. The Mules (18-4, 9-2 MIAA) finished with 16, while the Gorillas (16-7, 8-3 MIAA) totaled 11.
• UCM scored 11 of its 13 runs in the first innings, including seven in the third inning alone.
• Pittsburg State jumped up 1-0 early after a double from Reece Garvie scored Colton Pogue who led off the game with a single.
• Travis Able tied the game with a RBI single to left field that scored Mason Janvrin. Three batters later, John Fairchild brought home Erik Webb with a RBI single to right field.Â
• Harrison Schnurbush followed Fairchild up with a sacrifice fly to center field and it was 3-1, Mules, after one.
• Able made it a 4-1 UCM lead with a single through the right side and Webb scored.
• The Gorillas tied the game up, 4-4, in the top of the third after Andrew Vogelbaugh hit a two run homer to left field.
• The Mules retook the lead scoring seven runs in the third. Schnurbusch doubled to right center and was brought home thanks to a RBI double from Cole Hoover.
• A deep single to center field from Donovan Ditto scored Hoover. Following a pitching change, Ditto got to second on a wild pitch and was plated home by Janvrin's double to left center.
• A throwing error from the Gorillas after Janvrin stole third helped him score the unearned run. Webb was then walked, and Able scored him with a double to left center.
• After the second pitching change of the inning, Justin Graff-Rowe hit a double down the left field line to score Able and Collin Nevil. It was 11-4, Mules, after three.
• The next run of the game came in the sixth. Pittsburg State added three runs on one hit and two UCM errors to bring the game to 11-7.
• Two errors by the Gorillas in the bottom of the sixth cost them an unearned run and the Mules led 12-7 after a sacrifice fly from Ditto plated home Fairchild.
• Pittsburg State added a run in the seventh and eighth inning, but were shutout in the ninth as the Mules thwarted the comeback attempt.
• A sacrifice fly from Zak Whalin scored Fairchild to give the Mules their 13th run of the game as they held on for the 13-9 win.
Mules Stat Leaders
• Able finished 4-5, with three RBI and two runs scored.
• Ditto had three hits in four at bats. He finished two RBI and a run scored.
• Janvrin went 3-6 while scoring two runs and notching a RBI.
• Collin Jones got the win (4-1) as he pitched five innings and totaled two strikeouts.
• Luke Mercer earned the save, which is his fifth of the season. He struck out two batters in 1.2 innings pitched and did not give up a hit.
For the Gorillas
• Cody White was 2-3, with two runs scored and one RBI.
• Pogue finished 2-4 and scored three runs.
• Josh Whisler went 2-6, with two RBI and a run scored.
• Dante Richardson suffered the loss on the mound (1-1). He gave up seven runs, all earned, on seven hits in 2.2 innings pitched.
Game One: Pittsburg State 9, Central Missouri 6
Play-by-Play
• The scoring in game one did not come until the bottom of the third inning. There were just two combined hits through the first two innings before a run was scored.
• Donovan Ditto was walked and two batters later, Erik Webb nailed a two-run homer to left field to score the game's first runs.
• Travis Able was then walked, and got home off of back-to-back singles from Collin Nevil and Justin Graff-Rowe, respectively.
• The Mules 3-0 lead did not last long as the Gorillas scored six runs in the top of the fourth, four of which that came on a grand slam home run from Colton Pogue.
• Pittsburg State added one run in the top of the fifth to lead 7-3. Andrew Vogelbaugh led off the inning with a single. He then stole second and then scored after back-to-back ground outs.
• Collin Nevil cut UCM's deficit to 7-5 with a two run homer to right field.Â
• Pogue responded for the Gorillas with a solo home run in the sixth to give them an 8-5 lead. He added their final run with a RBI double down the left field line in the eighth.
• Webb doubled in the ninth for UCM and was scored thanks to a base hit from Able. The Mules managed to load the bases with two outs, but the Gorillas held off them off from making a comeback to take game one.
Mules Stat Leaders
• Webb finished 2-4, with three runs scored and two RBI.
• Able and Nevil both went 2-4 with a run scored. Nevil had two RBI, while Able had one.
• Janvrin was also 2-4 in game one.
• Reid picked up the game one loss (1-1) as he allowed five runs, all unearned, in 3.2 innings pitched. He struck out three batters.
For the Gorillas
• Pogue led the charge going 3-5, with two runs scored and six RBI.
• Reece Garvie was 2-4, with a run scored.
• Josh Whisler went 1-4 with a run scored.
• Cooper Gardner earned the win (4-1) as he struck out seven batters in 3.1 innings pitched and allowed just one hit.
News and Notes
• The Mules loss in game one not only snapped their seven game winning streak, it also snapped a 24-game home winning streak against the Gorillas. Before Saturday, the Mules last lost to the Gorillas, back on April 21, 2004.
• UCM is now 72-14 against Pittsburg State all-time and 6-2 against them under Kyle Crookes.
• The Mules seven walks allowed in game two are the most they have allowed this season. Batting wise, their three sacrifice flies in game two are also a season high.
• UCM is now 10-1 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field this season.
Up Next
• The series finale. The Mules wrap up the three game series with the Gorillas tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.
