WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Jacob Steele hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting Central Missouri Mules baseball to an 8-7 victory over the Davenport Panthers in the series finale of a three-game series Sunday, Feb. 19, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (5-5) clinched the series over the Panthers (2-4), going 2-1 in three games.
With the game tied, 7-7, in the bottom of the ninth,
Mason Lowe reached base on a fielder's choice before moving to second on
Adamo Stornello's two-out walk, and advancing to third on a Davenport wild pitch. Steele hit a 1-0 pitch into the gap in right field, allowing Lowe to easily score and seal the victory for UCM.
Steele finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate with the game-winning RBI while
Cole Moore went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a pair of runs driven in, pacing Central Missouri at the plate.
Reliever
Harrison Babbitt (1-0) picked up the victory on the mound for the Mules, allowing no earned runs on no hits with a strikeout in the top of the ninth inning.
Gaetano Vallone went 3-for-5 with a double, home runs and RBI, pacing Davenport offensively in the contest.
Panther reliever Logan Bursick (0-1) suffered the setback on the rubber after giving up the game-winning run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in two innings of work.
UCM is scheduled to host the Rockhurst Hawks (0-6) Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m. at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg.
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