WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The No. 3-ranked Central Missouri Mules completed a three-game sweep of the Northwest Missouri State University baseball team on Sunday with a 10-8 victory.

The Mules have won eight straight games and moved to 19-3 overall and 8-1 in the MIAA. Northwest dropped his sixth consecutive game and fell to 8-13 overall and 1-8 in league games.

The Mules scored in the bottom of the first, but the Bearcats responded with runs in the top of the second to tie it up. Parker Griffith and Kaehukai Young each tallied singles to lead off the second. Sam Wornson executed a sacrifice bunt to move them both into scoring position. After Cole Slibowski popped out, Jacob Selock delivered a two-out, RBI single through the left side to knot the game at 1-1.

UCM put up a three-spot in the bottom half of the second to take a 4-1 lead.

Northwest got a run in the third to cut the lead to 4-2. Ryan Williams singled with one out and Trey Morris doubled to put runners on second and third. Griffith ground out to first to get Williams across for Northwest's second run of the game.

The Bearcats put together a sixth-inning rally by having Morris lead off with a single and Griffith follow with a double down the left-field line. Young ground out to third that did not allow for Morris or Griffith to advance. After a UCM pitching change, Wornson hit a come backer to the pitcher and the Mules were able to get Morris out at the plate for the second out of the inning. Chester Brooks came through with a two-out, ground-rule double that plated Griffith to cut the UCM lead to 4-3. Selock singled to second to score Wornson and tie the game at 4-4, but Brooks was thrown at home trying to score on the play to end the inning.

Bearcat starter Andrew Clark (0-3) worked into the sixth inning and allowed six runs (two earned) on eight hits. Clark threw 104 pitches and struck out two. Clark departed two batters into the sixth inning after allowing two hits. Brock Stegall got two outs, but UCM was able to tally a two-out, two-run single to take a 6-4 lead.

Jacob Ciafullo would come in for Steggall in the bottom half of the seventh, allowing one hit. 

Griffith would tally his third hit of the game in the eighth on an RBI single to left-center to pull the Bearcats within one. 

UCM put up a four spot in the bottom half of the eighth to take a 10-5 lead. 

Northwest put up a fight in the ninth after Williams blasted a three-run shot to make it a 10-8 ball game. UCM made a pitching change after the homer by Williams and was able to ground Morris out to third to end the game. 

NOTES:
Parker Griffith went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a home run...Ryan Williams went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer...Trey Morris went 3-for-5 with two doubles...Jacob Selock recorded two RBI on two hits.

Northwest returns to play Tuesday at Washburn. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. in Topeka, Kan.