WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Carter Young,
John Prudhom and
Isaiah Pani each homered, leading the Central Missouri Mules baseball team to a 7-4 victory over the Davenport Panthers in game two of a three-game series Saturday afternoon, Feb. 18, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.'
The Mules (4-5) and Panthers (2-3) are scheduled to play the series finale Sunday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. in Warrensburg.
Central Missouri didn't waste anytime jumping on the scoreboard, scoring two runs in the first inning to gain a 2-0 lead.
Brennen van Breusegen was hit by a pitch to lead-off the game before Young stepped to the plate and crushed the first pitch he saw over the left field wall for a two-run home run, his second of the season.
The Panthers answered, however, and tied the game, 2-2, with back-to-back solo homers in the top of the second inning, prior to gaining a 4-2 advantage after plating two runs in the top of the third.
UCM responded, however, and took a 5-4 lead with a three-run bottom of the third. Young worked a lead-off walk before Prudhom demolished a ball out of the park in left field for his team-high fourth round-tripper of 2023, knotting the game, 4-4, before
Vance Tobol hit an infield single and crossed home plate on Pani's RBI single to right-center to put Central Missouri in front for good.
The Mules tacked on another run in the fourth after van Breusegen scored on Tobol's sacrifice bunt, increasing their advantage to 6-4.
Pani made it 7-4, UCM, in the bottom of the when he sent a 3-2 offering over the fence in left field for a solo home run, his first of the season.
Young and Pani each finished the game with two hits and two RBI, while Prudhom had a hit and drove in a pair of runs, pacing Central Missouri at the plate.
UCM reliever
JD McReynolds (1-0) earned the victory on the mound after throwing three scoreless and hitless innings with a career-high six strikeouts and just one walk while
Wyatt Clark picked up his team-best third save of 2023 with a scoreless and hitless ninth inning.
Khale Showers and Tyler Mosher each homered, leading Davenport offensively.
Panther starter Jared Schwartz (0-1) suffered the loss on the rubber, surrendering five earned runs on four hits with one strikeout and two walks in 2 1/3 innings.
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