WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Conner Wolf struck out six and allowed just one earned run in seven innings as No. 4-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball took down the Fort Hays State Tigers, 9-1, in the opening game of a three-game MIAA series Friday, April 28, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (34-13, 25-6 MIAA) and Tigers (20-28, 10-21 MIAA) are slated to play game two Saturday, April 29, at 2 p.m.
Wolf, a sophomore right-hander from Tipton, Mo., improved to 8-3 on the mound this season after surrendering just two hits and one earned run while fanning six batters and giving up zero walks on 78 total pitches in seven innings.
Central Missouri jumped out to a 4-0 lead with four runs in the bottom of the third inning.
Carter Young belted a triple to right-center, bringing in
Mason Lowe for the opening run of the frame, before
Jack Schark hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Young to score, upping the UCM lead to 2-0.
Vance Tobol kept the inning going, doubling down the right field line, plating
John Prudhom, and
Cole Moore smacked a single through the right side, driving in Tobol for the final run of the inning.
Prudhom upped the Mule lead to 5-0 with one swing in the fifth, hitting a laser down the left field line that cleared the fence for his 14th homer of the season.
UCM tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Schark hit a single through the left side, scoring Young, prior to Tobol doubling to left field, allowing Prudhom and Schark to cross home plate, building the home team's lead to 8-1.
Chase Heath drove in
Max Holy with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, making it 9-1, Mules.
Prudhom ended the game 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored, while Tobol was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three RBI and Schark and
Mason Lowe each had two hits, leading UCM at the plate in the victory.
Isaiah Ural went 2-for-4, pacing Fort Hays State offensively in the contest.
Tiger starting pitcher Zach Berg (4-5) suffered the loss on the rubber after allowing six runs – four earned – on seven hits with one strikeout and zero walks in 6 1/3 innings.
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