Game One of the Super Regional Goes to the Mules

Box Score SIOUX FALLS, SD (May 24, 2019) - Central Missouri Mules Baseball rode a four-run inning to a victory in game one of the NCAA Super Regional. UCM defeated No. 1 seed and host Augustana 6-4.

Play-by-Play
• Ben Kelsch worked into and out of trouble early. He stranded a runner at second after a one-out double in the first. The leadoff hitter then reached in the second, but he was erased on a double play.
• The bulk of the Mules runs came in a four-run third. Micah Evans started things off with a leadoff single through the left side. Janvrin followed with a double that skipped down the right field line.
• With runners on second and third, Alex Madera reached on an infield single to first as Evans trotted home with the game's first run.
• A wild pitch brought in Janvrin, making it 2-0. Harrison Schnurbusch and Josh Schumacher picked up back-to-back RBI singles as the Mules took a 4-0 lead.
• Augustana got half of those runs back in the home half of the inning. A pair of two-out RBI singles cut the lead to 4-2.
• UCM pushed their lead to three, 5-2, in the sixth after a leadoff double from Schumacher and a Cole Taylor sacrifice fly.
• Ben Kelsch went back out for the sixth, but after a leadoff single and sacrifice bunt, UCM went to the bullpen.
• Luke Mercer hit the first batter he faced, but got a strikeout and a groundout to end the scoring threat.
• In the seventh, the inning continued for the Mules on a two-out error from the pitcher. With the bases loaded, all three runners took off and Erik Webb dove head-first safely into home plate for a 6-2 lead.
• The Vikings got a run in the bottom of the inning, but it could have been more. With two outs, three straight Viking singles brought a run in. A second runner tried to score, but Alex Madera's relay home was on the money and Zak Whalin held on after a collision at the plate for the out.
• Jonathan Sprinkle ran into trouble in the ninth. He gave up a run and brought the tying runner to the plate with two outs, but he worked his way out to preserve the win.

Mules Stat Leaders
• Ben Kelsch started and threw the first 5.1 innings. He got the win allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with four strikeouts.
• Luke Mercer gave the Mules 2.2 innings out of the bullpen allowing a run on three hits with three strikeouts.
• Jonathan Sprinkle gave up a run in the ninth, but came away with the save.
• Mason Janvrin picked up three hits with a run scored.
• Josh Schumacher and Alex Madera each had two hits. Schumacher had an RBI and a run scored.
• Erik Webb knocked two hits, scored a run and stole a base.

For the Vikings
• Max Steffens got the start and threw the first five innings allowing five runs on nine hits with two strikeouts.
• Ryan Nickel had four hits in five at bats with two RBI.
• Riley Johnson also had two RBI on three hits.
• JT Mix had two hits and run scored.

News and Notes
• Mason Janvrin became the Mules single-season all-time hits leader. He now stands at 106. He also extended his reached base streak to 56 games, one behind Chance Tuttle's team record 57 game reached base streak in 2010. He has at least three hits in his last five games. 
• Each team picked up 12 hits in the game.
• Jonathan Sprinkle's save was his ninth of the season and the 11th of his career. His nine saves move him into seventh all-time in a single-season.
• Both teams left a lot of runners on base, the Mules nine and the Vikings eight.
• Ben Kelsch has a 1.26 ERA in 14.1 innings in the regional championship. 
• UCM moves to 17-9 this season in games decided by two runs or less.
• The Mules snapped the Vikings 12-game winning streak.

Up Next
• One team will punch their ticket to the NCAA Division II College World Series tomorrow. The Mules are one win away, while the Vikings will need to defeat the Mules twice. Game two starts at 12 p.m. If a game three is necessary, that will start 30 minutes after the end of game two.