ROLLA, Mo. (April 10, 2018) – Mules Baseball got off to a solid start on the road against Missouri S&T Tuesday afternoon, but did not maintain it as they ultimately fell 5-4. With the loss, Central Missouri is now 26-10 overall.
Play-by-Play
• The Mules got the scoring started right away scoring three runs in the first inning.
Mason Janvrin and
Erik Webb started the game with back-to-back singles. Two batters later
Justin Graff-Rowe scored Janvrin with a RBI single to center field.
•
Harrison Schnurbusch followed Graff-Rowe up with a RBI base hit as well to score Webb. Graff-Rowe advanced to third on the play and immediately stole home to give UCM a 3-0 lead after one. UCM held the Miners (15-15) to just one hit in the bottom of the inning.
• Missouri S&T responded and held UCM to just one hit in the top of the second and tied the game, in the bottom of the inning. Matt Gruse led off with a single to right field. Tim Lira followed him up with a two-run homer to left center. Connor Forsythe tied the game with a solo home run to left field.
• Jason Volkmann gave the Miners their first lead of the game, 4-3, in the bottom of the fourth. He got on base with a bunt single to third, stole second and got to third on a passed ball. He stole home while Justus Nelson was picked off at second base on a rundown play.
• The Miners added another run in the fifth to lead 5-3. Connor Forsythe singled to left field to bring in Gruse who got on base with a single up the middle. Following a pitching change for UCM, the Miners loaded the bases but
Collin Jones escaped the jam.
• UCM cut Missouri S&T's lead to one, 5-4, in the top of the sixth. On a 2-1 pitch,
Cole Taylor hit a RBI single up the middle to score pinch runner
Micah Evans. Both teams went scoreless the next two innings.
• The Mules looked to tie the game and possibly take the lead in the ninth. Webb was hit by pitch to get on base and advanced to second on a
Travis Able single. With two outs, the Miners forced
Collin Nevil to groundout to third and hold off the Mules chance at a comeback.
Mules Stat Leaders
• Graff-Rowe was a perfect 2-2, with a run scored and a RBI.
• Janvrin put up three hits in five at bats and had a run scored.
• Webb finished 2-4 on the day, with a run scored.
•
Evan Rathburn and
BJ Sparks each had three strikeouts. Sparks suffered the loss to go to 1-1.
For the Miners
• Lira led the charge with three hits in five at bats to go along with a run scored and two RBI.
• Offensively, Forsythe finished 2-4 with a run scored and two RBI. On the hill, he earned his third save of the season. He struck out one batter in one inning of work and allowed just one hit.
• Gruse was 2-3, with two runs scored. Volkmann also had two hits, while scoring a run.
• Matthew Lamb picked up the win to improve to 3-1. He worked 5.2 innings on the mound and struck out three batters. He gave up eight hits and allowed four runs (all earned).
New and Notes
• The Mules are now 3-2 in Tuesday games this season. Both losses have come against Missouri teams.
• UCM is now 49-12 all-time against the Miners and 0-1 against them under
Kyle Crookes.
• The Mules are now 10-6 in true road games this season and in one-run games they are now 1-4.
• UCM finishes the regular season 9-3 in non-conference games.
Up Next
• The Mules are right back in action Wednesday afternoon (tomorrow) as they take on the Southwest Baptist Bearcats. SBU defeated UCM, 6-1, back March 27 in Warrensburg. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. at Dodson Field.
