Central Missouri Mules baseball were in action Friday for their first home games of the season against the Colorado-Colorado Springs mountain lions.  They came into this series 1-2 having only scored two runs in those losses.

In game one, the Mountain Lions loaded the bases on the first three batters of the game, but only managed to get one run out of it. Outfielder, Justin Graff-Rowe, got on the board with a two-out RBI single and UCM got another run to take the lead.

The Mules started piling on in the second inning four runs, two off a double by outfielder, Mason Janvrin.

The Mountain Lions responded in the third and got to Mules starting pitcher, Ben Kelsch, knocking him out of the game after putting up three runs. Collin Jones relieved Kelsch and got two outs with the bases loaded to preserve UCM’s 5-4 lead.

Janvrin hit his first career home run on an inside the park shot to centerfield in the fourth inning.  He finished 2-3 with three RBIs.

Jones kept the Mountain Lions off the board for the rest of his appearance, but was pulled in favor of Luke Mercer in the seventh inning after the tying run reached base. Mercer used all of three pitches to finish off Colorado Springs and give UCM a 6-4 win.

Game two saw both teams pour on five-run innings. The Mountain Lions went to work in the second inning on Mules starter, Zach Girrens. Following a successful first inning, Girrens gave up a leadoff walk and four consecutive hits to give the Mountain Lions a 5-0 lead.

The Mules responded in the third with two runs on RBI groundouts by outfielder Travis Able and Janvrin. The Mountain Lions responded by tacking on a run in the top of the fourth inning putting the Mules down 6-2 going into the bottom of the fourth.  Nine Mules came up to bat in the inning, five of which scored putting the Mules in the lead for the first time in the game.

The Mules added a couple insurance runs in the fifth and sixth while Bryce Kearns and Mason Green threw perfect frames to preserve the lead.

Mercer made a second appearance in the ninth to close out the Mules 9-7 win and series sweep over Colorado Springs.

Able finished 3-5 and knocked in four RBIs. Infielder Dalton Dull had the hot bat going 4-4 and scored all four times he reached base.

The Mules are 3-2 on the season and will host Winona State next weekend Feb. 17 and 18 at Crane Stadium. The series will begin with a doubleheader Saturday, first pitch for game one is scheduled for 12 p.m. with game two set to follow immediately after. The final game is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.