Muleskinner

Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Drew Woolery: Muleskinner Senior outfielder Chris Brown slides into second base during a game earlier this season. [Click to enlarge]

The Central Missouri Mules' baseball team split an MIAA doubleheader Friday against the Northwest Missouri Bearcats in Maryville Mo., dropping game one by a 6-5 margin in 12 innings before grabbing a 5-3 win in the nightcap.

Sophomore pitcher Danny Potje started game one a little rough for Central Missouri (13-5, 3-1 MIAA), giving up two runs in the first frame and three unearned scores in the second. He settled down after that though, and tossed two scoreless innings.

The Mules bats came alive from the third inning on, knocking out 14 hits.

The Mules did tie the game after scoring three runs in the fifth and two in the sixth inning. Junior outfielder Will Feil hit a two RBI single to get UCM on the board before junior infielder Mike Hallam knocked him in on the next at-bat. The Bearcat (9-4, 1-1 MIAA) left fielder saved a couple runs when he ended the frame by throwing out Hallam at home a couple batters later.

Junior reliever Chris Matlock came into the game in the fifth, and threw more innings that Potje. He tossed 7.0 innings of shutout baseball, allowing only four hits, but the Bearcats scored the unearned game-winner in the bottom of the 12th to get the win. Northwest reliever Evan Nickell was just as good in relief, throwing 6.2 innings of shutout baseball, allowing only three hits.

The game two star for Central Missouri was junior starter Mark Carey. He was one out away from a complete game, tossing 6.2 innings while striking out nine and allowing only four hits. All three of the runs he gave up came in the fourth inning.

Central Missouri scored runs in the first, second, and fourth innings, including a solo homer in the second by junior infielder Jayson Brugman.

The Bearcats tied the game in the fourth before the Mules saved it from going to extra innings with a couple runs in the top of the seventh.

Balin Bergman got the inning started with a double to the right center gap. Senior infielder Brian McBryde laid down a sacrifice bunt but the Bearcats tried to get the runner at third and reached safely.

Senior catcher Luis Perez got the big hit on the next at-bat, knocking in one run and advancing McBryde to second on a single up the middle. Senior outfielder Blaine Rutledge advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt before Clay Weatherford had a sacrifice fly to right, scoring McBryde.

Carey got the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh before sophomore closer Alex Kent came in for the save, throwing one pitch and getting a ground out.

The Mules next home stand starts today when the teams host Washburn University for doubleheaders on Thursday and Friday. Schedules for both days will start at 3 p.m., at Crane Stadium-Tompkins Field.

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