WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Chase Wilcox hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift No. 4-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball to a 7-6 victory over the No. 20-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas Saturday, March 1, in a MIAA game at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (12-2, 5-0 MIAA), who upped their winning streak to eight games with the triumph, will face the Gorillas (10-3, 2-3 MIAA) in the third and final game of the series Sunday, March 2, at 1 p.m. in Warrensburg.
Central Missouri led 6-4 going to the top of the ninth inning before Pittsburg State's Dagen Brewer hit a two-run home run, tying the contest, 6-6. UCM was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, the Gorillas were able to load the bases with two outs, but UCM reliever
Bryce Taylor struck out PSU's Rickey Sanchez, to keep the game in a 6-6 tie going to the bottom-half of the inning.
Will Krzykowski led-off the inning with an infield single to shortstop before moving to second base on
Dayvin Johnson's sacrifice bunt. After
Vance Tobol was intentionally walked, Wilcox stepped up to the plate and smacked a 1-1 pitch to left-center field, bringing around Krzykowski and securing the 7-6, walk-off victory.
Johnson went 3-for-4 with two doubles, his first home run of the season, two runs scored and four RBI while Wilcox was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI and Tobol was 1-for-4 with his team-high third home run of 2025 – a two-run round-tripper to left-center in the eighth inning, pacing UCM at the plate.
Taylor (2-0) earned the win on the mound after tossing 1 2/3 innings and allowing no earned runs on one hit with one strikeout and two walks.
Sanchez went 4-for-6 with two runs scored and Hayden Dyer was 3-for-5 with a double, pacing Pittsburg State in the batter's box.
Pitt State reliever Cooper Crouch (0-1) took the loss on the rubber after surrendering one earned run on two hits with one walk in 1 1/3 innings of work.
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