WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Brennen van Breusegen homered for the second straight game and
Brady Gavin earned his fourth save of the season, leading No. 4-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball to a 3-2 victory over the Missouri Southern Lions in game two of a three-game MIAA series Saturday, April 9, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The win clinched the Mules (28-4, 21-1 MIAA) eighth consecutive series victory this season. Central Missouri will go for the sweep in series finale against the Lions (23-14, 13-9 MIAA) Sunday, April 10, at 1 p.m.
Missouri Southern held a 1-0 advantage going into the bottom of the sixth inning before van Breusegen crushed an 0-2 pitch over the left-center fence for a two-run homer – his second round-tripper of the weekend and seventh of the season – to put the Mules in front, 2-1.
The Lions knotted the game, 2-2, with an unearned run in the seventh, but Central Missouri had an immediate answer, regaining a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning when
Cole Moore hit a lead-off single, prior to moving to second on a Missouri Southern error and taking third on
Donovan Ditto's sacrifice bunt. Moore scored what proved to be the game-winning run on a
Carter Young RBI ground-out.
Gavin entered the game with one out in the top of the eighth and proceeded to throw 1 2/3 hitless innings with a strikeout, securing the win for UCM.
van Breusegen went 2-for-4 with his two-run home run while
John Prudhom and Moore both went 2-for-3 with a double, pacing the Mules at the plate.
Reliever
Ethan Peterson (3-0) earned the victory on the mound after allowing one unearned run on one hit with four strikeouts and zero walks in two innings. UCM starter
Max Abramovich had a no decision for the contest but threw five strong innings, surrendering just one earned run on four hits with a strikeout and walk.
Tommy Stevenson went 2-for-4 with a home run while Matt Miller added a 2-for-3 showing, pacing Missouri Southern.
Lion starter Logan VanWey (4-3) took the loss on the rubber, allowing three runs – two earned – on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 7 1/3 innings of work.
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