Sports, UCM Sports

Mules wrap up regular season with series sweep of Washburn

(TOPEKA, Kan.) – Derek Cornell and Cole Distler each drove in three runs and Carlos D’Armas struck out seven over six innings as the 16th-ranked Mules completed a series sweep of No. 30 Washburn with a 10-2 win on Sunday.

The Mules (34-12, 32-7 MIAA) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on Cornell’s two-run single. Washburn (31-18, 26-13 MIAA) scored one run in the second and one in the third to tie the game 2-2.

UCM went back in front for good with three runs in the top of the sixth. Cornell drove in the first run with an RBI groundout and Distler belted an opposite field two-run home run to give the Mules the lead. Bennett Oliver added an RBI double in the seventh to make it 6-2.

The Mules tacked on four more runs in the top of the ninth to break the game open. Distler had an RBI double to get things rolling. Matt Safranek added a two-run single and he later scored on a Jackson Schnurbusch single that was misplayed in right field.

The Ichabods added one run in the bottom half of the frame on a Daniel Reilly RBI double, but that’s all they would get.

D’Armas (4-2) struck out seven over six innings to pick up the win. He allowed two runs on four hits while walking two. Tayler Ross tossed 1.1 innings of one-hit relief with Ben Kelsch recording one out. Grant Gavin recorded the final four outs for his 10th save of the season. His 10 saves this season are tied for the fifth most all-time at UCM and his 13 career saves tie him for seventh all-time.

Dan Gabler (3-2) took the loss for Washburn after allowing five runs on six hits over 5.1 innings.

Six different Mules recorded two hits in the game as UCM out-hit Washburn 13-7.

The Mules will be the No. 1 seed in next week’s MIAA Tournament and will play eighth-seeded Northwest Missouri at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Lou Brock Sports Complex in St. Charles, Missouri.

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