WARRENSBURG, Mo. – No. 4-ranked and top-seeded Central Missouri Mules baseball held on for a 2-1 victory over the eighth-seeded Emporia State Hornets to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three MIAA Baseball Championship, presented by Mammoth Sports Construction, opening round series Friday, May 6, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.

The Mules (38-6) and Hornets (21-30) are slated to play game two of the series Saturday, May 7, at 2 p.m. Friday's win puts UCM one win away from advancing to the MIAA tournament semifinal and championship double-elimination tournament May 12-14 in Edmond, Okla. 

All three runs in the game occurred via productive outs.

Emporia State gained a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from TJ Racherbaumer in the top of the first before UCM answered and tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the third on an RBI ground-out from Michael Chrisman.

Sam Tatum provided what turned out to be the winning RBI for the Mules, hitting a sacrifice fly to left field in the bottom of the seventh, allowing John Prudhom to cross home plate for the 2-1 advantage.

Garrett Pennington went 1-for-3 with a double, leading the Mules at the plate for the game.

Reliever Ethan Peterson (4-0) earned the victory on the mound for Central Missouri, allowing no earned runs on one hit with a strikeout and walk in two innings while Brady Gavin secured his team-best sixth save of the season after throwing a scoreless top of the ninth with a pair of Ks and a walk.

UCM starting pitcher Collin Jones did not factor into the decision but tossed five innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks.

Racherbaumer went 1-for-3 with a double and drove in ESU's lone run, pacing the Hornets offensively.

Emporia State starting pitcher Jared Kengott (3-3) was the tough-luck losing pitcher in the game, tossing a complete-game, and surrendering two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts and one walk in eight innings.
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