JOPLIN, Mo. – Conner Wolf threw five innings and struck out seven and
Carter Young had three hits as No. 18-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball turned back the No. 4-ranked Missouri Southern Lions, 8-5, in the series opener of a three-game MIAA series Thursday, April 6, at Warren Turner Field.
The Mules (26-9, 17-4 MIAA) and Lions (28-9, 16-5 MIAA) are scheduled to play game two of the series Friday, April 7, at 6 p.m.
Wolf, a right-hander from Tipton, Mo., improved to 7-2 on the mound this season after scattering six hits in his five innings of work and allowing five runs – two earned – while walking just one batter and fanning seven on 94 total pitches.
Reliever
JD McReynolds earned his first career save after tossing a scoreless bottom of the ninth and surrendering just one hit with two strikeouts.
Young paced UCM at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored while
John Prudhom and
Chase Heath each tallied doubles, and
Vance Tobol,
Cole Moore,
Max Holy and Heath all drove in one run in the victory.
The Mules jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first after Young scored on a passed ball and
Jack Schark crossed home plate on a wild pitch, before Tobol smacked an RBI single through the right side, driving in Prudhom, and scored on a double-play.
UCM added a run in the top of the second when Prudhom got caught in a rundown and was able to evade the Missouri Southern infield long enough to give Young time to cross home plate from third base, building the advantage to 5-0.
Central Missouri kept the scoring going in the top of the third, scoring two runs on an RBI ground out from Holy and a Heath RBI double to left-center, increasing the Mule lead to 7-0.
The Lions cut the lead to 7-5 with two runs in the bottom of the third and three in the bottom of the fifth, but the Mules responded in the sixth when Schark was able to score on a Tobol RBI ground-out, extending the UCM lead to 8-5.
Central Missouri relievers
Jacob Beauchamp,
Ethan Peterson and McReynolds took over from there, throwing three scoreless innings of relief and surrendering just three hits with five strikeouts and zero walks, sealing the victory for UCM.
Ethan Clark went 3-for-4 while Will Doherty homered and drove in three runs, pacing Missouri Southern offensively for the game.
MSSU starter Steen Lane (3-1) took the loss on the rubber, giving up seven earned runs on four hits with six walks and no strikeouts in two innings.
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