WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Chase Heath,
Brennen van Breusegen and
Jacob Steele each homered as the top-seeded and second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball team posted a 12-10 victory over the No. 8-seeded Minnesota State Mavericks in the opening game of the NCAA-II Central Regional Thursday, May 16, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (48-8) advance in the winner's bracket of the double-elimination tournament with the victory and will face No. 4-seeded Augustana (S.D.) Friday, May 17, at approximately 6 p.m. in Warrensburg. The Vikings defeated No. 5 seed Central Oklahoma in the other first round contest Thursday, 4-3.
Heath went 2-for-5 with his 14th home run of the season – a two-run homer to left field in the fourth inning – to go along with three RBIs and two runs scored, van Breusegen was 1-for-3 with his team-best 20th round-tripper of 2024 – a game-tying, three-run home run in the seventh inning, Steele was 2-for-4 with the go-ahead home run in the seventh – a two-run homer to left field, and
Vance Tobol was 3-for-4 with a double and three runs scored, pacing Central Missouri at the plate in the win.
UCM reliever
JD McReynolds (8-1) earned the victory on the mound, allowing two earned runs on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in an inning while
Jake Wilson secured his first save of 2024 after throwing 1 1/3 innings and giving up no earned runs on two hits with three strikeouts and zero walks.
Aiden Byrne and Louis Magers each tallied three hits, with Mager also posting two RBIs, and Matt Fleischhacker homered, leading Minnesota State (37-19) in the batter's box.
Maverick reliever Cale Haugen (6-3) suffered the setback on the rubber, surrendering five earned runs on two hits with one strikeout and two walks in 1 1/3 innings of work.
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