WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Jack Schark,
John Prudhom,
Vance Tobol and
Mason Lowe all homered as No. 24-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball took down the Washburn Ichabods, 13-8, in the series finale of a three-game MIAA series Sunday afternoon, April 2, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
With the win, the Mules (24-9, 16-4 MIAA) earn a 2-1 series triumph over the Ichabods (21-13, 14-6 MIAA).
Central Missouri fell behind 4-0 after Washburn scored a run in the first inning and three runs in the second.
UCM trimmed the Ichabod advantage to 4-3 with three runs in the bottom of the second when
Brennen van Breusegen smacked an RBI single through the left side to score
Cole Moore before Lowe hit an RBI single through the right side, bringing in
Max Holy.
Carter Young plated the third run of the frame for Central Missouri, driving in van Breusegen with an RBI single through the left side.
Tobol gave the Mules their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third, 6-4, blasting a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence for a three-run homer, his seventh home run of the season.
Washburn responded and tied the game, 6-6, with two runs in the top of the fourth, but UCM had an immediate answer in the bottom-half of the frame after Schark hit the first pitch, he saw out of the ballpark for his first homer of 2023, putting the Mules back in front, 7-6.
Lowe increased the Central Missouri advantage to 8-6 in the bottom of the fifth when he connected on a 1-2 offering for a solo home run to left, his first round-tripper of the season, and Schark upped the Mule lead to 9-6, also in the fifth, after hitting an RBI single to centerfield, driving in Young.
The Ichabods cut the UCM lead to 9-8 with two runs in the sixth, but Central Missouri once again responded, putting up four runs in the bottom of the seventh for the 13-8 advantage. Young got the scoring started in the inning with an RBI single up the middle, bringing in Lowe, prior to Prudhom delivering the exclamation mark of the game when her crushed a 1-0 pitch way out of the ballpark in left field for a three-run homer, his team-best 11th of 2023.
Young, Schark and Lowe all finished the game with three hits while Prudhom and van Breusegen each compiled two hits, pacing the Mules at the plate.
UCM reliever
Jacob Merithew (1-0) earned the win on the mound after giving up two runs – one earned – on one hit with two strikeouts and two walks in three innings.
Easton Bruce tallied two hits and two RBI, leading Washburn offensively.
Ichabod starter Chase Torkelson (5-2) suffered the setback on the rubber, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and four walks in three innings of work.
The Mules are scheduled to host No. 6 Quincy in a midweek game Tuesday, April 4, at 3 p.m. at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg.
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