WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Top-seeded and No. 3-ranked University of Central Missouri Mules Baseball posted a 7-5 victory over the No. 3-seeded and ninth-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas in the opening game of a best-of-three NCAA-II Super Regional Thursday afternoon, May 22, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (42-11) take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series with the victory and will face the Gorillas (42-11) in game two on Friday, May 23, at noon in Warrensburg. With a win, UCM would clinch the program's 21st NCAA-II Regional Championship and berth in the NCAA-II College World Series.
With the game tied, 5-5, going into the bottom of the eighth inning,
Cole Kreisel worked a lead-off walk before stealing second base and advancing to third base on a Pittsburg State throwing error. After
Isaiah Keller drew a walk,
Will Krzykowski belted a two-RBI double to right field, allowing Kreisel and Keller to score, giving UCM the 7-5 advantage.
Central Missouri reliever
JD McReynolds tossed a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning with three strikeouts, sealing the victory for the Mules.
Grant Hollister went 3-for-4 with a run and RBI, while
Chase Heath belted his eighth homer of the season – a solo home run in the fourth inning – and compiled two RBI, Krzykowski went 1-for-4 with a double and pair of runs batted in, and
Jacob Steele was 1-for-3 with a double and run scored, leading Central Missouri at the plate.
McReynolds (7-0) earned the victory on the mound after throwing 1 2/3 innings and allowing one earned run on two hits with five strikeouts and one walk on 38 pitches.
Drew Bugner went 3-for-4 with three runs and a double, and Dagen Brewer was 2-for-4 with a home run, run and three runs batted in, pacing the Gorillas offensively.
Pittsburg State reliever Brady Pacha (5-2) suffered the setback on the rubber, surrendering one earned run on zero hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings of work.
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