WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Collin Jones threw seven innings and struck out seven and
Isaiah Pani nearly hit for the cycle as top-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball defeated the Pittsburg State Gorillas, 7-1, in the opening game of a three-game MIAA series Thursday, April 14, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
Central Missouri (31-4, 24-1 MIAA) and Pittsburg State (23-14, 17-8 MIAA) are scheduled to play game two of the series at 2 p.m. Friday, April 15.
Making his final start at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field of the regular season, Jones improved to 8-0 on the mound after scattering eight hits and allowing just one earned run with seven Ks and only one walk on 95 total pitches.
Pani fell a homer short of hitting for the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, two runs scored and an RBI while
Harrison Schnurbusch went a perfect 3-for-3 with a triple, pacing the Mules at the plate.
Central Missouri scored a combined five runs in the opening two innings of the game, plating two in the first and three in the second, racing out to a 5-0 advantage and never looking back.
Brennen van Breusegen cross home plate on a Pittsburg State throwing error for the opening run of the game before
Garrett Pennington belted an RBI single to right-center, scoring
John Prudhom and making it 2-0, Mules through one inning.
Schnurbusch led-off the second with a triple to right field before scoring on Jack Scark's sacrifice bunt, prior to Pani roping an RBI triple to right-center, plating
Carter Young, and van Breusegen hitting a sacrifice fly to center, plating Pani, upping the Mule lead to 5-0.
Mason Hartman went 3-for-4 with an RBI, pacing the Gorillas offensively.
Pittsburg State starter Tanner Lane (3-5) took the game one loss on the rubber, giving up seven runs – six earned – on 11 hits with one strikeout and three walks in six innings.
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