TOPEKA, Kan. – Donovan Ditto hit a pinch-hit, three-run homer with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 victory over the Washburn Ichabods for No. 4-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball Sunday, April 3, in the series finale of a three-game MIAA series at Falley Field.
The Mules (25-4, 19-1 MIAA) clinched their seventh straight series victory of the season with the Sunday triumph, taking two of three games from the Ichabods (22-11, 13-7 MIAA).
With Washburn in front, 3-2, with two outs in the top of the ninth inning,
Harrison Schnurbusch was hit by a pitch before pinch-hitter
Aiden Watson worked a walk, putting Mules on first and second with Ditto up to bat. The senior from Ballwin, Mo., connected on a 1-1 pitch and crushed it over the left field wall for his second round-tripper of the season, putting Central Missouri in front, 5-3.
Reliever
Brady Gavin coaxed the Ichabods into a fly-out and pop-out before getting the final out of the game via a strikeout in the bottom of the ninth, clinching the comeback win for UCM.
Ditto paced the Mules at the plate for the game with his pinch-hit home run and three RBIs, while
Carter Young,
Michael Chrisman,
Brennen van Breusegen and
John Prudhom each had singles.
Gavin improved to 3-1 on the mound in 2022 after throwing two scoreless innings in relief with three strikeouts and two walks.
Brett Ingram went 2-for-3 in the game, pacing the Ichabods at the plate.
Wasburn reliever Rane Pfeifer (2-2) suffered the setback on the rubber, allowing the game-winning home run with a strikeout and two walks in 1 1/3 innings.
Central Missouri is scheduled to host Drury in a non-conference game Wednesday, April 6, at 6 p.m. at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
