CARY, N.C. – Second-seeded and No. 2-ranked University of Central Missouri Mules Baseball posted a 6-2 victory over the third-seeded and No. 3-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne Bears to stay alive in the NCAA-II College World Series Wednesday, June 4, at the USA Baseball National Training Complex.

With the win, the Mules (46-12) force a decisive winner-take-all game against the Bears (50-14) in the double-elimination tournament on Thursday, June 5, at 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET). The winner of Thursday's contest will advance to the best-of-three NCAA-II World Series Championship Series.

The Mules jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Chase Heath smacked an RBI single up the middle, scoring Jacob Steele before plating two runs in the top of the fourth on a Grant Hollister RBI single to left field and a Will Krzykowski sacrifice fly, upping their advantage to 3-0.

Lenoir-Rhyne answered and cut the UCM lead to 3-2 with runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings, but Central Missouri responded, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth inning to push its lead to 6-2.

Steele belted an RBI double to left-center to drive in Krzykowski before scoring on a Lenoir-Rhyne error for the second run of the frame. Brett Grupe plated the final run of the inning and game on a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Dayvin Johnson.

Heath went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Vance Tobol was 2-for-5 with a double and run, Steele was 1-for-3 with a double, two runs and run batted in, and Johnson, Chase Wilcox, Hollister and Krzykowski each had a hit, leading UCM at the plate.

Central Missouri right-handed starting pitcher Jack Scott threw 4 2/3 innings and allowed two earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks while reliever Jake Wilson (6-1) earned the victory on the mound after giving up no earned runs on just one hit with one strikeout and one walk in 1 1/3 innings. Fellow relief pitcher JD McReynolds secured his fourth save of 2025 after throwing three shutout innings with four strikeouts and one walk on 45 pitches.

Eli Willen went 3-for-4 with an RBI, pacing the Bears offensively.

Lenoir-Rhyne starting pitcher Kellen Gradisar (11-4) suffered the setback on the rubber, giving up three runs – two earned – on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks in five innings of work.