WARRENSBURG, Mo. – No. 6-ranked and top-seeded Central Missouri Mules baseball fell to the eight-seeded Ouachita Baptist Tigers, 5-4, in the opening round of the NCAA-II Central Region Tournament Thursday, May 19, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (43-8) will face fourth-seeded Minnesota State in an elimination game Friday, May 20, at noon while Ouachita will take on fifth-seeded Augustana (S.D.) in a winner's bracket game at approximately 3:30 p.m.
Central Missouri fell behind 5-0 in the top of the sixth inning and put together a late rally with four runs in the bottom of the ninth but fell short of completing the comeback.
Donovan Ditto went 3-for-4 while
John Prudhom was 3-for-5 with a double and
Harrison Schnurbusch was 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in the ninth, pacing the Mules at the plate.
UCM right-handed starter
Collin Jones (9-1) suffered his first loss of the season on the mound after allowing four earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks in five innings.
Wyatt Core went 3-for-5, and Cade Burris and Jaxon Chaney each homered, leading the Tigers (33-22) offensively.
Ouachita starter Cooper Timmons (9-3) earned the victory on the rubber after giving up no earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks in six innings of work.
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