(KIRKSVILLE, Mo.) – The eighth-ranked Central Missouri Mules picked up a doubleheader sweep at Truman State on Tuesday afternoon in the final meeting as MIAA members to run their winning streak to 84 straight against the Bulldogs. UCM won the opener 3-1 before rallying for a 10-7 in the nightcap.
The Mules (29-8, 23-7 MIAA) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in game one when Samuel Domingue led off the game with a home run to left field. UCM added another run in the second inning on a Jon Cotter RBI groundout.
Central Missouri made it 3-0 in the fourth inning when Seth Wheeler singled home Kevin Gratza. The Bulldogs (9-29, 8-27 MIAA) got on the board in the fifth on Will Nader’s RBI single, but that is all they would get.
Dany Coulombe (3-0) picked up the win allowing just one run on five hits in 4.1 innings pitched. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. Andrew Urban picked up his fourth save of the season pitching 2.1 innings of perfect relief with one strike out.
Tim Lee (2-4) took the loss for Truman State after giving up three runs on seven hits in seven complete innings.
The Mules jumped on top early in game two scoring a single run in the first. Domingue walked to lead off the game, stole second and later scored on Kyle Grieshaber‘s RBI single to left.
The Bulldogs answered back in their half of the first with four runs to take a 4-1 lead. The first three batters of the game reached base for TSU and Chris Zrostlik belted a grand slam to give Truman the lead.
Central Missouri got a run back in the third on an RBI groundout from Brad Wilson to cut the deficit to 4-2, but TSU came right back in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single by Mike Monfre to push the lead back to three at 5-2.
Barrett Noirfalise pulled the Mules to within a run when he belted a two-run home run, the first of his career, in the top of the fourth to make it 5-4. The Mules tied the game later in the inning when Trevor Jones singled home Domingue, who had walked, stole second and went to third on a throwing error.
The Bulldogs regained the lead in the bottom of the inning scoring one run on a wild pitch to take a 6-5 lead. TSU was threatening for more with two runners on and one out, but Devon Brogan came on in relief and struck out the first two batters he faced to end the threat.
Central Missouri tied the game in the sixth when Grieshaber brought home Domingue with an RBI sacrifice bunt, then took the lead in the seventh when Kevin Gratza belted a solo home run to left center, his first of two on the day.
The Mules added to their lead in the eighth when Brad Wilson laced a double to left center scoring two runs and giving UCM a 9-6 lead. Truman State got one run back in the bottom of the eighth on a solo home run by Paul Trenhaile to cut the Mule lead to 9-7.
Gratza hit his second long ball of the game leading off the ninth to push the lead back to 10-7.
The Bulldogs put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate with only one out, but Zach Davis came on and induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and give UCM the sweep.
Devon Brogan (4-1) picked up the win in relief for the Mules after allowing just one run on four hits in five innings. He struck out five batters as well. Davis recorded the final two outs of the game for his fourth save of the season.
Andrew Range (0-1) took the loss for Truman after giving up three runs on two hits in 1.2 innings of relief.
Trevor Jones finished with four hits on the day, while Wilson drove in three runs and Gratza had the two home runs and four runs scored.
The Mules are back in action this weekend when they travel to St. Joseph, Mo. to take on sixth-ranked and conference-leading Missouri Western. The series gets underway Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. The series wraps up Sunday with a single nine-inning game at 12 p.m.