WARRENSBURG, Mo. – No. 3-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball posted a 7-2 victory over the No. 24-ranked Fort Hays State Tigers in the opening game of a three-game MIAA series Friday afternoon, March 28, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
With the win, UCM 11th season head coach
Kyle Crookes picked up career win number 419, becoming the all-time winningest coach in Mules baseball program history, surpassing former Central Missouri head coach Brad Hill, who tallied 418 career victories from 1995-2003.
The Mules (21-6, 12-3 MIAA) and Tigers (20-7, 15-3 MIAA) are slated to play game two of the series at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 29, in Warrensburg.
UCM broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning when
Vance Tobol crossed home plate on a
Cole Kreisel stolen base, before pulling away in the bottom of the eighth inning with four runs for the 7-2 triumph.
Kreisel delivered an RBI infield single, plating
Isaiah Keller for the first run of the eighth before
Jacob Steele belted a three-run double to left-field, clearing the bases for the final three runs of the game.
Steele ended the game 3-for-5 with a double, run and three RBI while Tobol was 2-for-5 with a double, triple and run scored.
Dayvin Johnson and Keller also had two hits in the contest, rounding out the Central Missouri leaders at the plate.
UCM right-handed starting pitcher
Evan O'Toole (4-0) earned the win on the mound, giving up two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and just one walk in seven innings while reliever
JD McReynolds tossed two shutout innings in relief, giving up just one hit with five strikeouts and one walk on 37 pitches, securing his first save of the season.
Brady Kreutzer went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, leading Fort Hays State offensively.
FHSU starter Ty Riley (5-1) suffered the setback on the rubber, allowing three runs – one earned – on five hits with five strikeouts and five walks in 5 1/3 innings of work.
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