EDMOND, Okla. – Top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball came up on the short-end of a game that featured a combined nine home runs, falling to the No. 5-seeded Washburn Ichabods, 15-13, Thursday, May 12, in an MIAA Baseball Championship presented by Mammoth Sports Construction semifinal game at a breezy Wendell Simmons Field on the University of Central Oklahoma campus.
The Mules (39-7) will play the loser of the No. 2-seed Northeastern State vs. No. 3 seed Pittsburg State Friday, May 13, at 3 p.m. in an elimination game in Edmond.
Brennen van Breusegen,
John Prudhom,
Isaiah Pani and
Donovan Ditto each had home runs in the game, with Ditto going 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs, while Pani went 3-for-4 with a round-tripper, double and three runs batted in, pacing Central Missouri at the plate.
With the homers in Thursday's game, Prudhom ups his season-best tally to 16, while van Breusegen builds his 2022 total to 14, Pani increases his to six and Ditto moves his home runs tally to three.
Tyler Rardin (5-1) suffered the loss on the mound for the Mules, giving up four runs – one earned – on three hits in an inning of relief.
Connor Scott went 2-for-5 with a pair of home runs and drove in four runs, pacing the Ichabods (32-18) in the contest.
Washburn reliever Austin Gerety (4-0) picked up the win on the rubber after tossing two-thirds of an inning and surrendering no earned runs on no hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
For the game, there were a combined 33 hits, with UCM tallying 16 and Washburn 17.
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