WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Fourth-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball ran its winning streak to six games after scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to rally and defeat the Maryville Saints, 7-6, in a midweek game played Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (9-2, 3-0 MIAA) are slated to host 20th-ranked Pittsburg State (9-1, 2-1 MIAA) in a three-game MIAA series Feb. 28 through March 2 in Warrensburg.
Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom the eighth,
Chase Heath belted a two-run, ground-rule double to left-center, scoring
Cody Moore and
Grant Hollister, putting UCM in front, 6-5.
Jacob Steele capped the comeback inning for Central Missouri, scoring
Cole Kreisel on a RBI single up the middle for the 7-5 advantage.
Steele went 4-for-5 with a triple, two runs and an RBI while
Chase Wilcox was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Heath was 1-for-5 with his go-ahead, two-run double, leading UCM offensively in the game.
Central Missouri reliever
Egan Keeler (1-0) earned the win on the mound after allowing no earned runs on zero hits with one strikeout and no walks in an inning of work while
Sawyer Allen picked up his first save of the season after giving up one earned run on one hit with one strikeout in the top of the ninth inning.
Ambrose Russo was 2-for-4 with three RBI and a homer, pacing Maryville (2-4) at the plate.
Maryville relief pitcher Philip Reinhardt (0-1) suffered the setback on the rubber, surrendering three earned runs on one hit with two walks in 1 1/3 innings.
