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Central Earns Berth in Division II World Series
By David Boyce
WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Central Missouri is headed to its 15th trip to the NCAA Division II World Series after beating Abilene Christian 11-4 Tuesday evening in the South Central Regional.
“We are very thrilled to come out and play better in game two,” Central Missouri coach Tom Myers said. “Our team had to do some things they are not used to and that was getting behind in both games and trying to find a way to fight back through it.”
The road to Cary, N.C. was a lot scarier than the final score indicated.
Simply put, disaster loomed at Crane Stadium for No. 1 seed Central Missouri.
The Mules entered the first championship game of the double-elimination South Central Regional without a loss. They were facing an Abilene Christian team that played until 3 a.m. Tuesday morning in an elimination game.
Even with their youthful age, the Wildcats should have been tired. They weren't.
Abilene Christian came out and thumped the Mules 11-5 in the first game Tuesday afternoon and scored three runs in the first inning in the final championship game.
And that's when junior relief pitcher Aaron Brett made the first of several money plays by Central Missouri.
With a runner on second and one out, Abilene Christian centerfielder Aaron Oliver tapped a ball to Brett.
Brett fielded the ball and instead of taking the easy out at first, he fired a perfect strike to third and got the lead runner.
“It was a huge play to get the lead out and keep the man off third base,” said Central Missouri first baseman Nick DeBiasse, who was voted MVP of the tournament. “That was the play turned the tide in the game. After that we got things back in our favor and turned everything around.”
That one out showed the Mules were now ready to play to win.
Central Missouri's offense came alive in the bottom of the second with two runs and added three more in the third.
The Mules played championship baseball the rest of the way and advanced to the eight-team NCAA Division II World Series for the eighth time in the last 11years.
No. 3 ranked Central Missouri, 51-9, returns to action Saturday afternoon against No. 2 ranked Tampa in the first game of the World Series.
Several Mules came up big when the season was on the line. Chance Tuttle knocked in the first run for Central Missouri.
“Hitting is contagious. We just needed that one big hit and that's when we started rolling,” Tuttle said. “That's the way we've been all season.”
In the bottom of the third, catcher Albert Selanders knocked in the tying and go-ahead run with a single and Tuttle added an RBI single later in the inning.
Both were obviously clutch hits early in the game when the Mules needed to build on their momentum.
The next money moment for Central Missouri came in the top of the fourth. Abilene Christian loaded the bases against Brett with no outs. Myers called on reliever Alex Kent to get the Mules out of a mid-game jam.
Kent got a double play and induced a lazy fly ball. Only one run came in. Central Missouri went to the bottom half of the fourth clinging to a 5-4 lead.
“Right there you want to limit the damage and get us back in the dugout, at best, tied,” Kent said. “That's what I was thinking. I wanted to force a ground ball and let the defense work behind me like it has all year. Our defense has been great all year getting us in the dugout with a double play.”
Abilene Christian reliever Zach Sneed held the Mules offense in check over the next two innings, retiring six straight.
The Mules woke up on offense in the sixth. It started with a one-out single by Tuttle, who showed why he was picked MVP in the MIAA.
Bret Schwartz followed with a single. DeBiasse continued the hit parade with a RBI single. DeBiasse finished with 16 RBIs in the regional tournament and was selected MVP.
Frank Specht and Tyler Ruch also followed with RBI singles. When the sixth ended, Central Missouri held a comfortable 10-4 lead.
The championship game ended with Nick Phillips striking out Chris Hall.
“In the field you can feel that last out coming,” DeBiasse said. “You want to stay focused and make the play if it comes your way. You can feel that out for sure.”
