JOPLIN, Mo. (May 20, 2021) - Central Missouri Mules Baseball remain unbeaten in the MIAA Tournament. In their first game of the championship rounds in Joplin, the Mules defeated Pittsburg State 9-5 in the four-team, double-elimination bracket. The Mules got down in the first, but a four-run second inning fueled the four-run win.
How it Happened
• Pittsburg State had a ton of runners on base and even though they scored five, stranded 10 of them.
• Each team collected nine hits. The Mules at first were scoring with small ball, before launching a pair of late-inning homers.
• Mule pitchers struck out 10 batters, but walked five. PSU struck out four Mule batters and walked three.
• The Mules played another clean defensive game while the Gorillas committed two errors.
• Pittsburg State got a run in the opening inning. A leadoff walk came around to score on a two-out single for a 1-0 lead.
• After UCM went down in order in the first,
Alex Madera led off the second with a double. He scored on a wild throw on
Cole Taylor's bunt single.
• The Mules scored three more times in the second without the ball leaving the infield.
Donovan Ditto's bunt single scored
Micah Evans who walked. Taylor and Ditto later each scored on two separate wild pitches and the Mules led 4-1 after two.
• PSU got back into the game in the third. With two outs, they kept the inning alive with a single and double to cut the Mules lead in half.
• The Gorillas tied the game at four in the fourth. A leadoff hit-by-pitch came in to score on an RBI double. With two outs, the Gorillas picked up another two-out RBI with a game-tying single.
• UCM responded with two of their own in the home half of the fourth.
Donovan Ditto, who reached on his second infield single of the day, scored on
Scott Wolverton's RBI double.
Harrison Schnurbusch scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch.
• The Mules plated two more in the fifth.
Alex Madera lifted a solo home for a 7-4 lead.
Donovan Ditto collected his third hit and drove in
Micah Evans with a single to center.
• Central Missouri's bullpen kept the Gorillas off the board the final 3.2 innings. Schnurbusch made it a 9-5 game with a solo home run in the eighth.
• Pittsburg State got the first two on in the ninth drawing back-to-back walks to leadoff the inning.
Evan Rathburn though got a 6-4-3 double-play and a strikeout to get out of the jam and hang on for the win.
Mules Stat Leaders
•
Donovan Ditto knocked three hits with two runs and two RBI.
•
Alex Madera and
Harrison Schnurbusch each hit solo home runs.
•
Micah Evans reached base twice and scored two runs.
•
Scott Wolverton and
Cole Taylor each had a hit and an RBI.
•
Mason Green started for the Mules and allowed five runs on six hits and three walks and six strikeouts.
• Tyler Kuhlman worked 1.2 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
For the Gorillas
• David Henderson started on the mound and lasted 4.1 innings allowing eight runs on seven hits.
• Zach Curry allowed a run on two hits in 3.2 innings of relief.
• Cruz Aranda had a pair of hits and drove in two.
• Ryan Koval had a hit and scored twice.
News and Notes
•
Alex Madera scored his 100th career run.
•
Chase Plymell worked his 50th inning on the mound for the Mules.
• Central Missouri scored three runs on wild pitches. The Gorillas threw four total and also hit two batters.
• The bottom of the order was 5-10 with four RBI and four runs scored.
• The UCM bullpen threw a scoreless 3.2 innings of relief with four strikeouts.
•
Micah Evans upped his reached base streak to 35 straight games.
Up Next
• The Mules will take on the winner of No. 6 Central Oklahoma and No. 7 Rogers State at 11 a.m. tomorrow.
