TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – No. 5-ranked University of Central Missouri Mules Baseball posted a 10-4 victory over the Northeastern State RiverHawks in the 2026 MIAA Opener for both teams on Friday afternoon, Feb. 20, at Rousey Field.
The Mules (9-2, 1-0 MIAA) and RiverHawks (4-6, 0-1 MIAA) are set to play game two of the three-game series on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 1 p.m. in Tahlequah.
Central Missouri gained a 2-0 lead after scoring a run each in the first and second innings.
Brock Kobel belted a double to left-center, driving in
Grant Hollister for UCM's opening run of the game in the first before
Cole Young smacked an RBI double to right field, bringing in Kobel, upping the Mules' advantage to 2-0 in the second.
UCM tacked on two more runs in the fourth when
Drew Veatch drove in
Cole Funkhouser on an RBI single up the middle and built its lead to 5-0 in the top of the fifth on a Kobel sacrifice fly.
Kaiden Ashton ripped an RBI double down the left field line, scoring
Jackson Helberg, in the sixth, prior to Hollister roping an RBI single through the left side in the top of the eighth, plating Young and making it 7-2, Mules.
Central Missouri scored its final three runs of the game in the top of the ninth. Kobel hit his second double of the game, and an RBI double to left field, driving in
Michael Smosna, and Helberg and Funkhouser crossed home plate on an NSU error.
Kobel was a perfect 2-for-2 with two doubles and three RBI, Hollister was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, and Veatch was 2-for-5, pacing the Mules at the plate in the victory.
UCM relief pitcher
Kasey Crawford (1-0) earned the win on the mound after allowing no earned runs on just one hit with two strikeouts in an inning. Central Missouri starting pitcher
Greyson Chappel threw four scoreless innings to start the game, allowing no earned runs on two hits with nine strikeouts and one walk on 62 pitches.
For the game, the RiverHawks outhit the Mules, 11-10, but committed two errors compared to zero for UCM.
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