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Following an impressive performance in Houston to start the year, ATU baseball traveled to Warrensburg, Missouri, to take on the #5 Central Missouri Mules. The road series seemed to feel like a critical early-season test for the Wonder Boys who escaped Texas with a 2-1 record.
The first game of the series, played on Friday, March 9, saw the Wonder Boys take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second before allowing five runs to the Mules in both the fourth and sixth inning. After mounting a final push in the top of the seventh, the Wonder Boys ultimately came up short, losing 10-2. Shortly thereafter, the two squads suited up for the second Friday evening game in what might have been the most entertaining performance of the entire series. After jumping out to an early 4-2 lead over the Mules, ATU gave up the tying runs in the bottom of the seventh. Both teams tried to break the stalemate for the next couple of frames until it came to the end of the ninth inning. With no team ahead in the score column, the game was decided in extra innings where Central Missouri finally scored a single run in the bottom of the twelfth to win the game.
The second day of action in Missouri was largely the same as the first–a large Wonder Boys loss followed by a low-scoring, tight ballgame that came down to the wire. In the opening Saturday game, the Wonder Boys surrendered runs in all but one of the first six innings on their way to trailing 11-0. Despite finally getting the offense going in the top of the seventh, the Wonder Boys fell to the Mules by a final score of 11-3. The second game’s action was kicked off by ATU scoring a single run in the second inning. Central Missouri answered back in the seventh–bringing the score even at one all. Without being able to score any additional runs, the Wonder Boys’ hopes came down to the final inning of the game where UCM was able to manufacture a single run to win the ballgame.
Even though the Wonder Boys were not able to secure a win in Missouri, they were able to play close games with national competition. While the series certainly serves as an early learning experience, the Wonder Boys should still feel confident in their conference chances. The Wonder Boys will next be in action when they, once again, go on the road and open conference play with the Oklahoma Baptist Bison in a three-game series played in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on Feb. 16-17.
Wonder Boys pitcher John Gray, a Junior from Youngsville, Louisiana, started the first game of the series on the mound.
