WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Brett Grupe hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to help No. 2-ranked Central Mules baseball post a 3-2 victory over the Central Oklahoma Bronchos in the series finale of a three-game MIAA series Sunday afternoon, April 13, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
With the win, the Mules (28-9, 19-6 MIAA) complete a three-game series sweep of the Bronchos (29-11, 19-9 MIAA). UCM is scheduled to travel to Maryville, Mo., for a midweek conference contest at Northwest Missouri State (19-19, 13-12 MIAA) Tuesday, April 15, at 3 p.m.
After Central Oklahoma gained a 2-1 lead over UCM in the top of the 10th inning,
Dayvin Johnson led-off the bottom-half of the inning with a double to right-center and advanced to third base on a Broncho error, bringing Grupe to the plate in his first at bat of the day. The Sedalia, Mo., native belted a 1-1 pitch high over the left field wall for the walk-off, two-run homer, his first round-tripper of the season.
Central Missouri's opening run of the game didn't occur until the bottom of the seventh inning when
Vance Tobol crushed a solo homer to left field, his team-best 15th home run of 2025.
Central Oklahoma tied the game, 1-1, with a run in the top of the eighth inning, and neither team was able to score in the ninth, sending the game into extra innings.
Jacob Steele went 2-for-4,
Kaleb Ceola was 1-for-2 with a double, Johnson was 1-for-4 with a double, Tobol was 1-for-4 with his home run, and Grupe was 1-for-1 with two RBI and a homer, pacing UCM offensively in the game.
Central Missouri reliever
JD McReynolds (5-0) earned the win on the mound after allowing one unearned run on one hit with two strikeouts and zero walks in the 10th inning.
Orlando Gonzalez was 2-for-5 with a double and RBI, leading Central Oklahoma at the plate.
UCO starting pitcher Dax Sharp (3-1) suffered the loss on the rubber after throwing a complete game, going nine innings and giving up three earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts and one walk on 122 total pitches.
