CARY, N.C. (June 1, 2019) - The first game in the 2019 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship is in the books as Central Missouri came out on top 9-4 over Ashland. The Mules scored seven runs in the first three innings and were carried by starter Ben Kelsch who picked up the win. The win puts the Mules at 44-14 this season, their most wins since 2012 when they won 48 games. 

Play-by-Play
• It started with two outs in the first. Erik Webb kept a drive just inside the right field line for a double and one batter later, Harrison Schnurbusch drove him in with a single through the left side.
• UCM could've gotten more in the inning with runners on corners, but a pick off at first base ended the inning.
• Ben Kelsch started his day with a walk, then proceeded to retire the next nine batters. He ended the first with a 5-4-3 double play as Cole Taylor made a nice stretch at first base to complete the double play.
• Central Missouri broke it open with a four-run second inning. Donovan Ditto and Zak Whalin were each by a pitch to put runners on base. Micah Evans poked one the other way for a base hit to score ditto. 
• One batter later, Mason Janvrin put a charge into one for a double deep to left center field to bring home Whalin.
• After an intentional walk to Erik Webb to load the bases, Schnurbusch again came up big, singling on the first pitch he saw to drive in two.
• The Mules played some small ball in the third and their aggressive base-running paid off. Janvrin beat out a bunt single as Donovan Ditto came in to score. Micah Evans though never stopped running and scored from second for a 7-0 lead.
• Ashland got on the board with two in the fourth. The Eagles got their first hit of the game, an infield single before Carson Mittermaier tripled off the wall in right field. He then came around to score on a ground ball to short.
• UCM responded right away getting those two runs back in the next inning. With two on in scoring position and two outs, Alex Madera made it a 9-2 game singling just over the glove of the shortstop to score Whalin and Janvrin.
• The Eagles knocked Kelsch from the game in the seventh. Four straight hits scored two runs. The last of which was a 12-pitch battle that ended in a double. 
• Conor Dryer came in from the bullpen with two on and hit his first batter to load the bases. He settled in and and ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts to leave the bases loaded.
• Dryer stayed in the game to throw two more scoreless innings to close out the game. 

Mules Stat Leaders
• Ben Kelsch got the started and lasted 6.1 innings. He allowed four runs on six hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
• Harrison Schnurbusch drove in three runs on three hits, all singles. He also stole two bases.
• Mason Janvrin picked up three hits in five at bats with two runs and two RBI. 
• Josh Schumacher was 2-5.
• Zak Whalin, Donovan Ditto and Micah Evans each scored twice.
• Conor Dryer threw 2.2 hitless innings with four strikeouts.

For the Eagles
• Devin Peters started and lasted just two innings allowing five runs on six hits.
• Ryan Curtis was the Eagles most effective pitcher. He threw four hitless innings.
• Carson Mittermaier and Micah Allen each had a hit, RBI and run scored.
• Austin Elfrid reached base twice with a hit and a walk and scored a run.

News and Notes
• Kelsch made his 56 career appearance to move into the Mules all-time top-10. 
• The win is the Mules 30th all-time at the Division II Championship. They are 30-31 in 61 Championship games.
• Erik Webb added to his D2 lead with his 26th double of the season in the first inning. 
• Mason Janvrin continues to add to his UCM single season hits record. He is now up to 109.
• All but one Mules in the lineup had a hit or scored a run.
• Conor Dryer's four strikeouts are a career-best.
• Central Missouri moves to 4-0 all-time against Ashland.
• Kelsch threw a first pitch strike to 20 of 26 batters he faced.
• Six of the Mules nine RBI came with two outs. 
• The Mules hit .500 (7-14) with two outs while Ashland was 0-8. 

Quotable
Coach Crookes:
Opening Statement:
"I thought Ben gave us a great outing. He threw strikes early, pitched to contact and other than a leadoff walk in the first inning, I thought he gave us a great opportunity to get our feet underneath us and do some things offensively and make that offense stick. The guys did a great job of executing, doing it in different ways. They got big two-out hits. I think our first three runs were scored with two outs. Harrison [Schnurbusch] scored the first one and I think Mason broke it open with two outs on a bunt, playing his game. It was a good start. It was a good first four or five innings for us and we'd like to finish the game a little bit stronger than we did but I'm happy with the work Conor Dryer did out of the bullpen to get us out of any additional trouble that we made for ourselves.
On Janvrin's bunt: That's what we want. That's what his job is, that's what his talent is. I'm happy that he continues to look for it and doesn't run from it even when he's swinging it well.
On the team's head's up play executing the little things: I think that little things amount to big things in a game and can create momentum offensively when it's tough. And when you're playing this caliber team, at this type of an event, at this type of field I think that (creating momentum) is big. So it's crucial that they play fearless and play to what they've been taught and what their talent is. Mason doing that (bunt) I'm really proud of and Micah (Evans) being a head's up baserunner and being aggressive in that manner is something that we'd like to say that we work on and we teach and I'm glad that he looked for it in those moments. That's why you do it.
On Conor Dryer: He did a great job other than the hit-by-pitch to start the game for him. I think part of that is Coach Stambersky having a great feel for his staff and knowing what he wants to do in certain situations based on the inning and based on the run-count. He had him prepared, not in case Ben [Kelsch] faltered or anything but getting deeper into the game, you get into pitch counts and you want to make sure we're taking care of our people. It wasn't exactly a situation you want to bring him in but at the same time, he proved up to the task and he did a good job. I think it was big. Other than the hit-by-pitch, he threw strike one which was crucial. Conor is a pretty talented kid and he's got ability and we're happy to see him perform the way he did. He really gave us two-and-two-thirds of really solid relief. In a game against a team as good as Ashland in this kind of environment, a game can kind of slip and slide on one play, on one at bat. I thought he did a great job of putting out that flame as quickly as he could. 

Ben Kelsch
On his outing: Early my fastball wasn't working too much for me, but I kind of settled in after a couple of innings and was working both sides of the plate and the guys made plays behind me which was huge."
On getting ahead in the count: I like to attack early. First strikes and getting weak contact is how I pitch. 

Mason Janvrin
On his bunt single: I was peaking down third base. I do it every at bat. A lot of times [teams] get lazy with two outs so I know it's always open for me. I didn't get the bunt I wanted, but it worked out.

Harrison Schnurbusch
On attacking the Ashland pitcher's early: It's a lot of fun to hit behind Erik Webb when he gets intentionally walked to load the bases. That gives me another opportunity. And with his two-out double in the first inning I don't get that at bat without him, so it's a lot of fun to hit behind him. We were all looking early today. We knew they didn't have anything we couldn't hit so we were getting ready to attack.

Up Next
• The Mules will take on the winner of No. 1 Colorado Mesa and No. 8 NYIT Monday, June 3 at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT.