The 6th-ranked Missouri Western baseball team came away with a double header split against 8th-ranked Central Missouri on Saturday afternoon. The Griffons got a walk off hit in game one getting a 3-2 victory before falling 2-1 in the night cap. The Griffons are now 32-6 overall and 25-3 overall.
Game 1
MWSU 3, UCM 2
In a pitchers dual the Missouri Western baseball team got a big hit in the seventh inning by Shawn Egge giving MWSU the 3-2 victory in game one against Central Missouri.
Brandon Simmons stays perfect on the season improving to 9-0 on the season. He went all seven innings giving up four hits and two earned runs. He also struck out three Mules. With the victory he broke the MIAA record for wins in a career. He has 33 victories breaking the old record of 32 which was held by Josh Reynolds of Central Missouri from 1998-2000.
The Mules got on the board in the fourth inning when Trevor Jones led off with a double down the right field line and later scored on a bunt by Brad Wilson.
The Griffons responded in the bottom of the inning with Kyle Simpson leading off with a single up the middle. He scored on a Nate Ramler triple to center field and then Ramler gave the Griffons the lead on a ground out by Spencer Shockley.
The score remained 2-1 until the top of the 7th when Brad Wilson singled and then Kevin Gratza double down the right field line tying the score at two.
In the bottom of the 7th Grant Fink led off with a single up the middle and then Jimmy Smelcer got on by a hit by pitch. The Mules brought in Andrew Urban who balked over pinch runner Dylan Koch and Smelcer. The Mules then intentionally walked pinch hitter Jeremy Monty which loaded the bases.
Shawn Egge took a 2-0 pitch from Urban to left field scoring Koch giving MWSU the 3-2 victory. The Griffons had five hits with Fink going 2-for-3.
Travis Higgs got his first loss of the season going six innings giving up four hits and three earned runs. He falls to 5-1 on the season. The Mules had four hits in the contest.
Game 2
UCM 2, MWSU 1
Despite getting just three hits in the second game the Griffons had a chance to tie or win the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Griffons had runners on first and second with two outs but a Shockley slow roller to third base ended any threat.
The Mules Kurtis Schuyler had the Griffon bats off track through 7.1 innings. He gave up just one hit through eight. Schulyer improved to 4-3 overall going 8.1 innings giving up two hits and one unearned runs. He also had six strikeouts in the game.
The Griffons Ethan Ward pitched a solid game going six innings giving up eight hits and two earned runs. He falls to 2-3 on the season.
The Mules got a run in the sixth and seventh innings giving them the 2-0 lead after seven.
In the ninth Michael Schulze got a double and scored Simpson’s sac fly. Nate Ramler singled through the left side moving Bubba Dotson to second but Shockley’s ground-out ended the game.
UCM improves to 30-9 overall and 24-8 in MIAA play. They ahd 10 hits with Samuel Domingue going 3-for-4.
The two teams wrap up the series on Sunday, April 21 with a single nine inning game starting at 12:00 pm. The Griffons will honor 16 seniors before the game for senior day.
— MWSU Sports Information —