( HOUSTON ) — The 22nd-ranked Mules’ bats were silent as they were held to four hits in a 2-0 shutout loss to 17th-ranked Arkansas Tech on Saturday afternoon at Minute Maid Park. The Wonder Boys out-hit the Mules 10-4 in the game.
The Wonder Boys (3-4) got on the board in the first inning when Caleb McKinnon led off with a double, went to third on a groundout and scored on Patrick Castleberry’s RBI double. They scored an insurance run in the eighthon Bryan Heward’s two-out RBI single to left field to give ATU a 2-0 lead.
The Mules best scoring chance came in the sixth. Dylan Farrell led off the inning with a rocket to left center. The ball was misplayed for an error and allowed Farrell to go all the way to third. The next batter, Tony Sandifer, lined a ball sharply in to right, but Heward caught the ball on the run and threw a strike to the plate to cut down Farrell for the double play.
UCM loaded the bases in the ninth with two walks and a hit by pitch, but Trevor Jones grounded out sharply to third to end the game.
Carlos D’Armas (0-1) took the loss on the mound for the Mules after giving up one run on six hits in 4.2 innings pitched. Jake Heissler allowed one run on four hits in 4.1 innings of relief. Both pitchers struck out three batters each.
Cody Jones (2-0) got the win for ATU tossing seven innings of four-hit baseball. He walked three and struck out four. Randy Vallejo came on in the ninth to record the final out to pick up his first save of the season.
The shutout loss is the first for UCM since a 12-0 loss at Ouachita Baptist on February 7 of last year.
The Mules will close out the 2015 Houston Winter Invitational on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. against St. Mary’s (Texas). The game can be heard live on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com with Bob Jackson on the call. The UCM Office of Extended Studies Dugout show will begin at 9:35 a.m.