ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – No. 9-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball upped its winning streak to 11 games with a 6-2 victory at Missouri Western Wednesday, March 16 at the Spring Sports Complex.
The Mules (16-3, 10-0 MIAA) are slated to travel to Wichita, Kan., for a three-game MIAA series at Newman March 18-20.
John Prudhom went 2-for-3 and hit a two-run homer, while
Jacob Steele went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, and
Brennen van Breusegen posted a 2-for-4 showing with a double, leading Central Missouri at the plate for the game.
Central Missouri reliever
Conner Wolf (1-0) earned the victory on the mound after tossing two scoreless innings and giving up only two hits with five strikeouts and zero walks.
The Mules got the bats going early, scoring two in the top of the first after Prudhom crushed a ball over the left field wall for a two-run home run, his team high fifth of the season.
The Griffons (4-15, 2-8 MIAA) trimmed the UCM lead in half, 2-1, with a run in the bottom of the first, but Central Missouri answered with a run of its own in the top of the second, increasing its lead to 3-1 on an RBI sacrifice bunt from
Ethan Imel that drove in
Aiden Watson.
Once again Missouri Western responded, cutting the Mule lead to 3-2 with a run in the bottom of the second.
Central Missouri, yet gain, had an immediate answer, building its advantage to 5-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the third when Steele belted a two-RBI double to right-center, scoring
Garrett Pennington and Prudhom.
Watson provided the final run of UCM in the top of the sixth, hitting a sac fly to out to left field, bringing in Pennington for the 6-2 lead.
Brenden Anderson and Ryan Neise each had two hits, pacing the Griffons offensively.
Missouri Western starter Zack Cushing (0-3) suffered the loss on the rubber after allowing five runs – four earned – on five hits with no strikeouts or walks in 2 2/3 innings.
The Griffons outhit the Mules in the game, 10-9, but committed four errors, compared to zero miscues for Central Missouri.
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