HOUSTON, Texas — The University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team rallied to score five runs in the final two innings to beat Central Missouri 5-4 on Saturday on the second day of the Houston Winter Invitational at Minute Maid Park.

Down 2-0 to start the eighth inning, UAM pushed three runs across the plate with a two-out rally that included an RBI infield single by senior Mitchell Dornblut and a two-run single by junior Nick Piraino.

The Mules responded in the bottom of the eighth with one run to force a 3-all tie before UAM sophomore Brian Ray picked up his first hit of the 2016 season, a two-run homerun down the right field line in the top of the ninth to put the Weevils up by two.

It was Ray who also played a key factor in the win with his defense. With UCM already having one run scored in the bottom of the ninth inning, Mules leadoff man Derek Cornell singled to center field and Ray threw out Blake Wilfong at the plate to nullify the game-tying run. Wilfong had reached on an error earlier in the inning and moved to second on an RBI single by Dylan Farrell.
 
Less than a minute later, UAM's senior catcher Travis Steinke combined with first baseman Dornblut and second baseman Piraino to pick off Cornell at first base to end the game.

Ray had another outfield assist in the bottom of the seventh, which prevented UCM from taking what would have been a 4-3 lead.

The first four innings of Saturday's game hinted that one run might be enough to decide a victor with both starting pitchers cruising through the respective lineups. UAM's Grant Black and UCM's Tyler House gave up only one hit each through the first four innings. Black ended the game with two runs allowed off five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in 6.1 innings of work. House gave up just one hit and struck out nine in the first six innings.

Sophomore Braden Chambers (1-0) earned the win for UAM in relief, retiring the only two batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth. Sophomore Dawson Moser earned his first save of the year. UCM's Gavin Grant (0-2) took the loss after giving up the two-run homerun to Brian Ray in the ninth inning.

UAM wraps up the Houston Winter Invitational on Sunday against St. Mary's. First pitch is 6 p.m.