PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University baseball team scored nine runs over the first three innings and tacked on five insurance runs late in the game to defeat the University of Central Oklahoma Sunday (May 7) at Al Ortolani Field.
 
The Gorillas took two of three games in the 2023 MIAA Postseason Tournament First Round Series to advance to next week's MIAA Championship Series at Warrensburg, Mo. Pitt State (33-18) will face top-seeded Central Missouri (38-13) in the opening game of the championship series Thursday (May 11) at Noon (CDT) at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.

Austin Warkins went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, four runs scored and four RBI to pace the Pitt State offense. Joe Hamilton also pounded out four hits, going 4-for-6 with a double and three runs scored.

Tanner Leslie (4-3) worked 4.1 innings of effective relief work to earn the win. Leslie pitched on one day's rest after tossing 4.0 shutout innings to earn a save in the Gorillas' series opening 12-7 win over UCO Friday night. He allowed seven hits and a walk Sunday but limited the Bronchos to just a pair of fourth-inning runs.

Jake Grauberger belted a three-run home run as part of Pitt State's four-run first inning when the Bronchos needed three pitchers to record three outs in the frame as they combined to issue six walks and hit a batter.

Warkins added a three-run homer in the third inning and Brett Daley slugged a solo home run in the eighth.

UCO ended its season with a 32-19 record.