HOUSTON – The Augustana Vikings plated a run in the top of the ninth inning to break a 5-5 tie and defeat the No. 3-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball team, 6-5, Sunday, Feb. 13, in the Houston Winter Invitational inside Minute Maid Park.
The Mules (2-2) are scheduled to return home to Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg for a four-game series against Davenport Feb. 18-20.
Eight different Mules recorded a hit in the contest, with
Vance Tobol driving in a team-best two runs, and
Michael Chrisman and
Harrison Schnurbusch each driving in one run.
Brady Gavin (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound for UCM after allowing one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts and no walks in 2 2/3 innings of relief.
Central Missouri fell behind early, 3-0, after the Vikings (2-1) scored a run in the first and two in the second.
UCM answered, however, and tied the game with a three-run fourth. Schnurbusch hit an RBI single through the right side for the opening run of the frame before Tobol hit a two-run single to right field, allowing Schnurbusch and
Donovan Ditto to score, knotting the contest, 3-3.
The Mules gained a 5-3 lead an inning later in the fifth when Chrisman drove in
Brennen van Breusegen on an RBI fielder's choice and
Garrett Pennington raced home on an Augustana wild pitch.
UCM held onto the advantage until the top seventh when the Vikings scored a pair of runs to tie the game, 5-5, before plating what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the ninth on a two-out RBI single to right field.
Carter Howell and Trevor Winterstein each collected two hits, leading the Vikings at the plate.
Augustana reliever Jason Axelberg (1-0) earned the victory after surrendering no earned runs on one hit with a walk and strikeout in an inning of work while Adam Diedrich secured his first save of the season with a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
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