WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 28, 2020) - Central Missouri Mules Baseball got down early in their MIAA opener to Rogers State, but scored five runs after the seventh inning to claim a 7-5 win.
How it Happened
• Central Missouri knocked plenty of hits, 12 in eight trips to the plate. The Hillcats picked up nine against Mule pitching.
• UCM pitchers struck out 14 Hillcats while the Mules fanned just six times.
• Rogers State finished with seven men left on base. The Mules stranded five runners.
• The scoring started in the second inning. With two outs, a single to right brought home the game's first run. Rounding third was Jonathan Soto who hurdles Mules catcher
Scott Wolverton and knocked the ball loose to avoid the tag.
• In the home half of the inning, the Mules tied it up with a two-out knock of their own.
Alex Madera doubled to deep left and brought in
Harrison Schnurbusch who reached on a fielder's choice, tying the game at one.
• The Mules took the lead when
Dusty Stroup hit a long home run to center, over the batter's eye behind the fence. Stroup's long ball led off the inning and the Mules led 2-1 after four.
• The lead didn't last long as the Hillcats put up a four spot in the fifth. A walk and a double to start the inning put runners on second and third and chased Mules starter
Mason Green.
Jonathan Sprinkle came in and allowed a walk to load the bases. The very next batter hit a hot shot right at shortstop
Alex Madera, who couldn't come up with it cleanly which brought in two runs.
• Rogers State scored twice more in the inning on RBI ground outs and led 5-2.
• UCM got a run back in the sixth when
Dusty Stroup again parked one over the fence. This time in right center for an opposite field shot and brought UCM to within 5-3.
• Following Stroup's home run, the next three Mules all reached base.
Michael Sinks doubled followed by
Harrison Schnurbusch's RBI single and an infield since from
Cole Taylor. After the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Madera tied the game with his second RBI, a sacrifice fly as Schnurbusch trotted home.
• Sprinkle settled down and struck out the next five batters he faced. But a two-out single and a walk put a man in scoring position for the Hillcats in the seventh.
Chase Plymell entered and after falling behind 3-1, ended the inning with a strikeout.
• In the eighth the Mules put the leadoff man on with a walk and two batters later,
Cole Taylor, first-pitch swinging hit a line drive over the fence in right and gave the Mules a 7-5 lead.
• Rogers State got the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but
Evan Rathburn closed the door to preserve the comeback win.
Mules Stat Leaders
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Dusty Stroup was 2-4 with a pair of home runs.
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Cole Taylor reached base twice with a single, home run and two RBI.
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Alex Madera drove in two runs.
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Harrison Schnurbusch scored three times.
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Mason Green started and went four innings allowing three runs on five hits with four strikeouts.
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Jonathan Sprinkle struck out six in 2.2 innings of work.
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Chase Plymell worked 1.1 perfect innings with two strikeouts.
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Evan Rathburn earned his third save of the season striking out two in the ninth.
For the Hillcats
• Jackson Simonsgaard pitched six innings and allowed five runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts.
• Sean Craig took the loss giving up two runs in two innings.
• Nick Follett finished 2-4 with two RBI.
• Christian Merriwether doubled twice and scored.
• Jonathan Soto singles twice, scored and drove in a run.
News and Notes
• This is the second win of the season for UCM when tied after six innings.
• Rogers State is new to the MIAA in 2020. This was their first MIAA game and their first ever game against UCM.
• With his hit,
Erik Webb moves to a tie for eighth all-time at UCM.
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Alex Madera's two RBI give him more than 50 for his career.
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Dusty Stroup extended his hitting streak to 10 games. The first 10-game hitting streak for UCM this season.
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Cole Taylor now has six multiple RBI games, twice as much as the next Mule.
• UCM's defense turned another double-play their 12th of the season.
• The Mules have now hit seven home runs in the last two games.
Up Next
• Game two of the series with the Hillcats. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.
