WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Jacob Steele hit a walk-off, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball a 5-2, series-clinching victory over the No. 9-ranked Missouri Southern Lions on Senior Day Sunday, April 28, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.

The Mules, who clinched their fifth straight and 30th overall MIAA Regular Season Championship last weekend at Rogers State, finish the regular season at 43-6 overall and 29-4 in conference play. UCM will be the top seed in the 2024 MIAA Baseball Championship Tournament and will host a best-of-three first round series May 3-5 in Warrensburg against a to be determined opponent.

Trailing 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth, Max Holy worked a lead-off walk before moving to second on Josh Patrick's sacrifice bunt and advancing to third on a ground-out from Vance Tobol, bringing Cole Moore to the plate with two outs. Moore hit a 3-2 pitch straight back at the pitcher's mound for an infield single, allowing Holy to score the tying run.

After Brennen van Breusegen walked, Steele stepped to the plate and crushed a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall, sending UCM home with the 5-2, walk-off victory. It was Steele's 12th home run of 2024.

Patrick went 2-for-3 with a double and RBI, while Holy posted a double, and Steele compiled three RBIs on his walk-off homer, pacing Central Missouri at the plate.

UCM reliever JD McReynolds (6-1) earned the win on the mound after collecting the final out of the top of the ninth inning.

Ethan Clark was 2-for-4 while Drew Townsend homered, leading Missouri Southern (37-13, 24-9 MIAA) offensively.

MSSU reliever Laif Hultine (1-3) suffered the setback on the rubber, surrendering two earned runs on one hit with one walk in two thirds of an inning.