WARRENSBURG, Mo. - The final two games of the weekend series at No. 4 Central Missouri belonged to the Mules by scores of 12-3 in seven innings and 10-4 in nine innings. The Mules have now won six straight in the all-time series against the Panthers and scored 10-plus runs in the last three wins.
Jerad Berkenpas got his first start for the Panthers after transferring from Grand Rapids Community College and in the first two innings struck out four batters including retiring the side in the second inning. The retired the first seven batters before a single by Brennen van Breusega and then Carter Young had an inside the park home run with two outs for a 2-1 lead. The Panthers did open the scoring as
Sam Clay launched his first home run as a Panther with two outs in the third inning.
Josh Robinson tied the game at 2 with a leadoff home run in the fourth inning to left center. Berkenpas ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth as the Mules scored four runs to chase him from the game. Berkenpas went four innings and allowed six hits and six earned runs with five strikeouts.
Brayden Flanders in relief squandered five earned runs in 1.1 innings with two strikeouts.
Ian Dixon tossed the final two outs in the sixth and allowed one earned run. The Panthers did not allow a walk in game one, but did allow six extra-base hits including two doubles, two triples, and two home runs.
Young finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. Vance Tobol had a huge game going 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two runs scored, and four RBI. Clay finished 2-for-4 in the leadoff spot with two runs scored.
Anthony Aloisio went 2-for-3 with a RBI single in the sixth inning.Â
The second game was started with two runs in the first inning by the Panthers. Robinson doubled to left center to score
Coltrane Rubner.
Carson Price followed with a RBI single to center field for the 2-0 lead. Central Missouri cut the lead to 2-1 as Young homered to left center. Tobol had a RBI single in the third inning to tie the game at 2.
The Panthers failed to score after that first inning as the Mules scored three runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth. Price finished 2-for-3 with a double. Robinson finished 2-for-4 with two RBI. Jack Schark went 3-for-4 with three runs scored for UCM. Chase Wilcox went 3-for-3 with a run and two RBI.
Jared Schwartz got the start for DU and went three innings. He struggled with his control with five walks and fanned a pair of Mules. The Mules used eight pitchers and the Panthers used eight pitchers in game two. Jack Scott got his first win of the season for Central Missouri and was the fourth pitcher of the game. He threw two innings and allowed one hit with no runs and two strikeouts.
The Panthers (0-4) will be back on the road next weekend starting on Friday, Feb. 23 at Illinois-Springfield (4-1). The first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 PM ET and will be the first game against the Prairie Stars in school history.
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