WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Ayden Blachowicz hit a pinch-hit, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a 5-5 tie and help give second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburg State Gorillas in game two of a three-game MIAA series Saturday, April 6, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (32-4, 20-2 MIAA) will look to complete a three-game series sweep of the Gorillas (23-13, 13-9 MIAA) in the series finale Sunday, April 7, at 1 p.m. in Warrensburg.
Blachowicz delivered on a 1-2 pitch in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a single into left field that allowed
Brennen van Breusegen and
Max Holy to cross home plate and break the 5-5 stalemate.
Jacob Steele and
Carter Young each had two hits,
Vance Tobol tallied a double and two RBIs, and Blachowicz drove in what proved to be the game-winning runs, leading UCM at the plate in the victory.
Central Missouri reliever
Jack Scott (3-0) earned the win on the mound after allowing two earned runs on three hits with one strikeout and one walk in 1 2/3 innings while
JD McReynolds secured his first save of the season after tossing a scoreless top of the ninth inning with a strikeout.
Nixon Brannan homered and Blake Mozley and Dylan Choy Foo both had two hits, pacing Pittsburg State offensively.
Pitt State reliever Christian Spitz (1-1) suffered the setback on the rubber, giving up two earned runs on four hits in 1 2/3 innings of work.
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