WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Donovan Ditto and
Isaiah Pani each homered as Central Missouri Mules baseball completed a three-game series sweep of the Northeastern State RiverHawks with an 11-2 victory Saturday, March 5, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (11-3, 6-0 MIAA), who clinched their second consecutive series sweep and won their sixth straight game Saturday, are scheduled to travel to Springfield, Mo., for a non-conference contest against Drury Wednesday, March 9, at 3 p.m.
Pani and Ditto both hit their first home runs of the season and drove in a pair of runs while
Sam Tatum went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs and
Cole Moore went 2-for-3 in the batter's box, pacing Central Missouri offensively in the game.
UCM reliever
Tyler Kotsis (3-0) earned the win on the mound after throwing a scoreless fifth inning with no earned runs on just one hit with three strikeouts and zero walks, while starter
Max Abramovich tossed four strong innings, giving up only one earned run on two hits with five Ks and three walks on 64 pitches.
The Mules jumped on the RiverHawks (13-6, 3-3 MIAA) immediately in the game, scoring two runs in the first, going up 2-0 after
Michael Chrisman and
Harrison Schnurbusch scored on a Northeastern State throwing error on a sac bunt from Moore.
Central Missouri stepped on the gas in the third, plating two more runs when
Jacob Steele worked a bases-loaded walk, bringing in Chrisman, and Tatum smacked an RBI infield single to shortstop, driving in Moore, increasing the Mule lead to 4-1.
UCM inched its advantage to 6-1 with a run each in the fourth and fifth innings.
John Prudhom hit an RBI single through the left side, allowing Chrisman to score in the fourth prior to Tatum crossing home plate on a RiverHawk error in the fifth.
The Mules put the game out of reach in the seventh and eighth innings, scoring two in the seventh and three in the eighth for the eventual 11-2 victory.
Pani cranked the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a two-run shot in the seventh before
Carter Young scored on a Tatum sac bunt and Ditto crushed an 0-1 offering out of the park for a two-run round-tripper for Central Missouri's five runs in the seventh and eighth frames.
Matt Kaiser went 1-for-3 with a home run and Blaze Brothers added a 2-of-4 performance, leading the RiverHawks at the plate.
Northeastern State starter Davin Pollard (0-1) took the loss on the rubber, allowing four runs – three earned – on two hits with three strikeouts and six walks in three innings.
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