PITTSBURG, Kan. – Second-ranked and top-seeded Central Missouri Mules baseball stayed alive in the 2024 MIAA Baseball Championship, winning a pair of elimination games over No. 3 seed Pittsburg State and No. 5 seed Washburn Friday, May 10, at Al Ortolani Field on the Pittsburg State University campus. UCM defeated the Gorillas, 16-5 in eight innings, in game one before turning back the Ichabods in the nightcap, 9-1.
With the pair of victories, the Mules (47-7) advance to the MIAA Baseball Championship game and will face second-seeded and No. 7-ranked Missouri Southern Saturday, May 11, at noon in Pittsburg, Kan. UCM will have to beat the Lions twice to clinch the MIAA Tournament Title.
In the opening game win over the Gorillas (34-18),
Jacob Steele,
Cole Moore and
Carter Young each tallied three hits, pacing UCM at the plate. Steele was 3-for-4 with three runs, a double and three RBIs, Moore was 3-for-4 with a double and three runs and Young was 3-for-6 with two runs and three RBIs.
Brennen van Breusegen (triple and double), and
Max Holy (double) also had extra-base hits in the contest.
UCM reliever
JD McReynolds (7-1) earned the victory on the mound, allowing one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 2 1/3 innings of work.
The Mules fell behind 4-0 before storming back and gaining the lead for good after scoring five runs in the fifth inning and two runs in the sixth.
Cade Clemons was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, and Blake Mozley homered, pacing Pittsburg State in the batter's box.
Pitt State reliever Christian Spitz (3-2) suffered the setback on the rubber, giving up two earned runs on four hits in a third of an inning.
In the nightcap against Washburn (32-21), the game was tied 1-1 before van Breusegen hit a go-ahead homer to left center in the top of the sixth inning to put the Mules in front the remainder of the game enroute to the 9-1 win.
Van Breusegen finished the game going 2-for-3 with his team-best 19th home run of the season and two RBIs while
Chase Wilcox added a pair of hits, and
Vance Tobol and Moore each tallied doubles, leading Central Missouri at the plate.
UCM starting pitcher
Jack Kriesman (5-1) earned the win on the rubber in game two, allowing one earned run on two hits with six strikeouts and four walks in 5 2/3 innings.
Jonah Walker secured his first collegiate save after tossing three scoreless innings and allowing just one hit.
Cale Savage was 2-for-4 with a homer to lead Washburn offensively.
Ichabod starter Chase Torkelson (5-1) took the setback on the mound, surrendering two earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and five walks in six innings.
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