MARYVILLE, Mo. – Freshman
Jack Schark homered twice and drove in four runs leading Central Missouri Mules baseball to a 13-9 victory over the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats Monday, Feb. 28, at Bearcat Baseball Field in the final game of a three-game MIAA series.
The Mules (8-3, 3-0 MIAA) completed a three-game sweep of the Bearcats (4-9, 0-3 MIAA) with the triumph in Maryville Monday.
Schark, who hails from Lake St. Louis, Mo., went 4-for-5 at the plate with his pair of home runs and two singles, going along with his game-high four RBIs and two runs scored, while
Sam Tatum added a homer and three RBIs and a 2-of-3 showing, leading Central Missouri offensively.
UCM reliever
Ethan Peterson (1-0) earned the win on the mound after throwing two hitless and scoreless innings with two strikeouts and a walk.
Schark tallied the inaugural round trippers of his collegiate career in back-to-back at bats. His first homer was solo shot to left in the fourth inning before he went deep again in the sixth with another solo smash to left field.
Tatum belted his first home run of 2022 in the top of the fifth – a solo homer to left field.
The Mules and Bearcats entered the top of the ninth tied 9-9, but UCM plated four runs in the frame to take a 13-9 advantage.
Carter Young drove in
Cole Moore on a single through the right side for the go-ahead run prior to
Jacob Steele smacking a RBI double to left-center, allowing Young to score and up the Central Missouri lead to 11-9. Tatum and Schark plated the final two runs of the game for the Mules on a pair of RBI singles, upping the lead to 13-9.
Caleb Rogge entered in relief for the bottom of the ninth and got a ground-out to shortstop, before working around a one-out walk and ending the game with a 4-6-3 double-play, securing the UCM series sweep.
Alex Bowers went 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs, pacing Northwest Missouri.
Bearcat reliever Alex Slocum took the loss after surrendering five earned runs on six hits in 1 1/3 innings.
The Mules are scheduled to return home to Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field for a three-game MIAA series against Northeastern State March 4-6.
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