SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Maryville University baseball won the first NCAA Tournament game in program history with a 5-2 final over Ashland University on Thursday. The Saints were led by seven strong innings on the mound from Jacob Kroeger, four combined RBI from Elias Stevens and Trace Berggren, and Ben Gregory's first career save.
 
Ashland Recap
Jacob Kroeger took the ball for the Saints to open the NCAA Regional Tournament and set Ashland down in order in the top of the first. Leadoff man Jack Zebig started things with a single and got to third on Michael Gould's double in the next at-bat. Elias Stevens brought both runners in with a single to put the Saints on top 2-0 still with no outs in the first.
 
GMAC Pitcher of the Year Brendan Beaver got a double play to clear Stevens off the base path before Jacob Hager doubled. Beaver recovered again with a looking strikeout to strand the runner at second.
 
Kroeger continued to mow down Eagle hitters with two more strikeouts in a 1-2-3 second. He received a third run of support on Zebig's sacrifice fly after singles from Trace Berggren, Stephen Randazzo, and Andy Bunton.
 
Over the next three innings, the left-handed starter from Palmyra, Mo., dominated Ashland, setting down nine of the next 10 batters faced. In total, he retired 15 of his first 16 hitters.
 
The Eagles broke through with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, but Kroeger worked out with a fly ball to left field. He was relieved for in the seventh, ending his day with six innings of work, three hits allowed, two earned, and seven strikeouts.
 
Trace Berggren drove in runs in the sixth and the eighth innings with singles to pad the lead. Noah Arras came in and worked a pair of scoreless innings out of the bullpen with three strikeouts to hold the lead.
 
Freshman Ben Gregory came in for the ninth and ended the first NCAA Regional victory in Maryville history with the first save of his career.
 
Winning Pitcher: Jacob Kroeger (4-3)
Losing Pitcher: B. Beaver (7-2)
Save: Ben Gregory (1)
  
Batting Leaders
Trace Berggren: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 R
Elias Stevens: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
Jack Zebig: 1-for-3, RBI, R
 
Records:
Maryville: 35-18
Ashland: 33-20
 
What's Next?
The Saints take on the University of Indianapolis in the winner's side of the NCAA Midwest Regional on Friday, May 19. The first pitch is set for 2 p.m.