WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Chase Wilcox and
Kaleb Ceola each homered, helping the No. 24-ranked University of Central Missouri Mules Baseball team secure an 11-7 win over the Missouri Southern Lions in the second game of a three-game MIAA series on Friday, May 1, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
The Mules (34-13, 24-11 MIAA) and Lions (32-16, 25-10 MIAA) are scheduled to wrap up the series with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday, May 2, in Warrensburg. Saturday's game will be Senior Day for Mules Baseball, with a ceremony honoring UCM's 12 seniors following the game.
Central Missouri led 3-2 before scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to open up an 8-2 advantage. Wilcox started the inning with a bang, crushing a solo home run over the scoreboard in right-center field, his fourth home run of the season, to build the UCM lead to 4-2.
UCM increased its lead to 5-2 when
Grant Hollister crossed home plate on a Missouri Southern error, before Ceola provided the exclamation point in the inning, blasting a three-run homer to centerfield for the 8-2 advantage. It was Ceola's second round-tripper of 2026.
Central Missouri added three more runs in the eighth inning when
Cole Kreisel scored on a Wilcox RBI single through the right side, and Hollister belted a two-run triple to left-center, bringing in Wilcox and
Cole Funkhouser, the Mules' 10th and 11th runs of the game.
Wilcox went 4-for-5 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI. Hollister was 3-for-5 with a double, triple, two runs, and three RBI. Kreisel was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs, and Ceola was 1-for-2 with a homer and three runs batted in, leading UCM offensively.
Central Missouri relief pitcher
Hayes Allen (3-0) earned the victory on the mound, allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk in four innings.
For the game, the Mules outhit the Lions, 14-9.
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