WARRENSBURG, Mo. (April 26, 2019) - The Mules and Tigers were locked in a tight one, until it wasn't. Central Missouri scored six runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away, and take game one, 8-1 from Fort Hays State. The Mules win their 30th game of the season, improving to 30-12 and 20-8 in the MIAA.
Play-by-Play
• Neither team scored in the first three innings. Central Missouri got out of jams in the first and third with double plays.
•
Michael Sinks finally put some number on the board with a two-run home run to left, bringing in
Erik Webb who doubled.
• Fort Hays State cut the Mules lead in half scoring an unearned run in the sixth. The Tigers led off the inning with a single and an error in right allowed the baserunner to move up to second. He eventually came in to score on a sacrifice fly and it was a 2-1 game.
•
Cole Taylor brought the Mules lead back to two, 3-1. Sinks led off the seventh with a double and scored on
Cole Taylor's single that found a hole through the right side.
• UCM then really busted it open in the eighth.
Harrison Schnurbusch doubled down the left field line with one out to get things rolling. Then it was
Michael Sinks again, going deep to left for another two-run home run and UCM led 5-1.
• The Mules weren't finished though. Now with two outs,
Josh Schumacher and
Donovan Ditto each singled.
Zak Whalin then doubled on the first pitch he saw to center, making it a 7-1 game.
•
Mason Janvrin capped the inning with an RBI single as Whalin came in to score the fifth run of the inning.
•
Ben Kelsch worked around a one-out walk to finish the complete game.
Mules Stat Leaders
•
Ben Kelsch needed just 102 pitches to complete all nine innings. He allowed one unearned run on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
•
Michael Sinks provided the offense going 3-4 with a double and two home runs. He drove in four runs and scored three times.
•
Zak Whalin went 2-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
•
Josh Schumacher picked up a pair of hits.
For the Tigers
• Ethan Booe started and went the first seven innings. He allowed three runs on six hits with two strikeouts.
• Cody Starkel was 2-3 with a run scored.
• Jared Maneth drove in a run.
News and Notes
• This was the Mules first complete game of the season. No Mule had gone deeper than seven innings in a game.
• It was the first complete game of Kelsch's career.
• This is the Mules ninth straight win over Fort Hays State.
•
Mason Janvrin and
Erik Webb each extended their hitting streaks. Both did so in a painful way. They were each hit by a pitch, Webb in the first and Janvrin in the seventh.
• For just the second time this season, the Mules did not draw a walk.
Up Next
• Game two of the series will also be Senior Day. The Mules and Tigers will square off starting at 2 p.m. tomorrow with Senior Day festivities taking place after the game.
