WARRENSBURG, Mo. – No. 4-ranked and top-seeded Central Missouri Mules baseball scored 13 unanswered runs to turn a three-run deficit into a 15-5, seven-inning victory over the No. 8-seeded Emporia State Hornets in the first round of the MIAA Baseball Championship, presented by Mammoth Sports Construction, Saturday, May 7, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (38-6) advance to the MIAA Baseball Championship double-elimination semifinals with the 2-0, first round series win over the Hornets (21-31) and will face No. 5-seeded Washburn at noon Thursday, May 12, in Edmond, Okla., at Wendell Simmons Field.
Central Missouri broke the game wide open with an offensive surge in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring 11 runs on 11 hits and two errors to gain a 13-2 advantage. UCM added a run in the sixth and seventh to end the game via the 10-run rule.
Brennen van Breusegen went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs while
Garrett Pennington added a 3-for-5 performance with a triple, his seventh homer of the season, and four RBIs, and
Michael Chrisman went 3-for-5 with a pair of runs batted in, pacing the Mules at the plate in the contest.
John Prudhom,
Harrison Schnurbusch,
Donovan Ditto and
Chase Heath each compiled two hits, while
Jacob Steele posted one hit.
Central Missouri reliever
Tyler Kotsis (4-0) earned the win on the mound, giving up no earned runs on no hits with one strikeout and one walk in 1 2/3 innings.
Sam Chaput went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and TJ Racherbaumer added a 2-for-4 performance, pacing Emporia State offensively.
ESU starter Aaron Bechtel (1-9) took the loss on the rubber, surrendering seven earned runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.
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