EMPORIA, Kan. – Vance Tobol homered,
Mason Lowe had four hits and
Conner Wolf struck out seven as the Central Missouri Mules baseball team turned back the Emporia State Hornets, 10-4, in the opening game of a three-game MIAA series Friday, March 10, at the Trusler Sports Complex.
The Mules (14-6, 6-1 MIAA) and Hornets (7-13, 3-4 MIAA) are slated to play game two of the series at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 11.
Tobol went 2-for-3 at the plate with his fourth home run of the season and collected a pair of RBI while Lowe tallied a career-best four hits in five at bats and drove in two runs, leading UCM at the plate.
Wolf (3-2) earned the victory on the mound after giving up just one earned run on three hits with seven strikeouts and only one walk in five innings.
Tobol gave the Mules an early 2-0 advantage in the top of the first when he hit a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall for a two-run round-tripper.
UCM added five runs in the top of the third and never looked back from there.
Cole Moore drove in the opening run of the third on an RBI fielder's choice that scored
Jack Schark before Lowe smacked a two-RBI single through the left side, scoring Moore and
John Prudhom to up the Central Missouri lead to 5-0.
Chase Heath kept the line moving, hitting an RBI single up the middle, bringing in
Quinton Hall, prior to
Max Holy plating Lowe on an RBI single to center field for the seven-run cushion.
Brenden Tauber collected two hits, including a double, and Andrew Rantz homered, pacing Emporia State offensively.
ESU starting pitcher Ian Lanik (3-3) suffered the loss on the rubber, surrendering seven earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts and three walks in three innings of work.
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