Mules Drop Series Opener to Wonder Boys

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 7, 2020) - Central Missouri Mules Baseball returned to Warrensburg for their home opener Friday night. They took on Arkansas Tech in the first of four games. The Mules got on top early, but three runs after the seventh inning was enough to give the Wonder Boys a 3-2 win.

How it Happened
• Arkansas Tech outhit the Mules 7-5.
• The Wonder Boys had more chances to score but left eight men on base.
• Mule pitchers struck out 11 batters and walked four.
• ATU committed two errors to the Mules one.
• Strong start to the game for UCM. Erik Webb got things started in the first reached on a hit by pitch. Alex Madera's double moved him to third and Michael Sinks came through with a base hit up the middle for an early 2-0 UCM lead.
• That was all the scoring for the Mules though. In fact only twice after the first inning did UCM manage to get a base runner in scoring position and only once, in the seventh, did UCM get a runner to third.
• Mason Green was mowing down the Wonder Boy lineup though making those two runs hold up. Green was strong through five, ending his night by striking out the side in the fifth.
• Arkansas Tech got a runner to third in the sixth, but Conor Dryer wiggled out of the jam with a strikeout.
• ATU finally broke through an inning later with a leadoff home run from Stormy Taylor and the Mule lead was cut in half, 2-1.
• An inning later, the Wonder Boys tied the game at two on an RBI single, then a two-out error allowed the eventual game-winning run to score.
• The Mules got the leadoff man on in the eighth on Josh Schumacher's single, but a strikeout and catcher's interference erased Schumacher from the base paths and UCM failed to score.
• Arkansas Tech struck out three of the final four batters they faced, including two in the ninth to hold on to the 3-2 win. 

Mules Stat Leaders
• Mason Green tossed the first five innings allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out six.
• Michael Sinks drove in both runs for the Mules going 1-4. 
• Erik Webb reached base twice with a single and a hit-by-pitch. He also scored a run.
• Brady Gavin threw 1.1 perfect innings in relief.
• Alex Madera had a double, walk and a run scored.

For the Wonder Boys
• Armando Romero got the win out of the bullpen. He threw four shutout innings with four strikeouts.
• Riyan Rodriguez started and allowed two runs on three hits in four innings.
• Nick Kovar got the save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
• Stormy Taylor finished 1-4 with a home run.
• Josh Detweiler went 2-4 with a run and an RBI.

News and Notes
• The bottom four in the Mules lineup went a combined 0-11 with two walks.
• The Mules five hits are a season low. 
• UCM is now 10-8 all-time against Arkansas Tech, 1-2 under Coach Crookes.
• UCM did not steal a base after recording 12 in three games last weekend. 
• Erik Webb and Josh Schumacher have a hit in all four games this season.
• Mason Green has thrown 10 shutout innings in his two starts this season with 14 strikeouts. 

Up Next
• The Mules and Wonder Boys play a double header tomorrow afternoon starting at noon.