INDIANAPOLIS – A clutch three-run home run from Elias Stevens in the eighth inning sent Maryville baseball to an 8-5 NCAA Opening Round win over Grand Valley State University on Thursday. Tied 5-5, Stevens homered to center field to push the Saints past the Lakers in the NCAA Midwest Regional #2 bracket.
 
Grand Valley State Recap
Maryville ace Jacob Kroeger took the ball for another game one, this time in the NCAA Tournament, and he retired the first 12 Grand Valley State hitters he faced. Colin Bergmann gave him a lead to work with in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home run before the Lakers broke up the perfect game bid with a lead-off solo home run in the top of the fifth.
 
In the bottom half of the sixth, Maryville loaded the bases to set the stage for a two-RBI single from catcher Matt Arnold to push the lead to 4-1.
 
In the top of the seventh, GVSU got an RBI single from Connor Schuman to pull his team within two. Michael Gould returned the favor with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh.
 
In the top of the eighth, Pat Evers made a call to the bullpen, ending Kroeger's day with seven innings of work, two earned runs allowed, eight strikeouts, and 94 pitches. The Lakers jumped on the new arm with a single, a walk, a two-RBI double, and another single to left field. Noah Harbin was called into the game with one out and a runner at first base. A ground out advanced the runner to second and he came around to score on a single from Jonas Gulbrandsen that knotted the game at five.
 
In the bottom half of the eighth, Arnold and Gould both got on base in front of Stevens who stepped to the plate with two outs. Stevens got a pitch to his liking and drilled a go-ahead, three-run home run to dead center to put the Saints up 8-5.
 
Harbin was sent back out to the mound in the top of the ninth and got a strikeout and two popouts to end the opening-round victory for his club. He picked up his third win of the season as the Saints moved one win away from the first 40-victory season in Maryville history.
 
Batting Leaders
Elias Stevens: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Colin Bergmann: 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Michael Gould: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB
 
Records:
Maryville: 39-16
GVSU: 30-24
 
What's Next?
Maryville moves on to Trevecca Nazarene University on Friday, May 17, at 1 p.m. (CT). For more information on the NCAA Midwest Regional #2, click here. 
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