Central Missouri opens NCAA Division II World Series with victory in North Carolina

Lee’s Summit West High School product Cole Taylor was 2 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs and Olathe Northwest grad Mason Green pitched six strong innings Saturday as top-seeded Central Missouri opened the NCAA Division II World Series with a 9-3 victory over Idaho’s Northwest Nazarene in Cary, North Carolina.

The Mules (44-6) scored in all but the first, third and fifth innings, and Taylor was a big part of the offense as usual. He has now hit 16 home runs this year.

Erik Webb was 2 for 4 with an RBI, Micah Evans was 2 for 2 and walked twice and Scott Wolverton was 3 for 4 with two runs driven in.

Green, meanwhile, scattered five hits, striking out eight and walking none against eighth-seeded Northwest Nazarene (34-9). Chase Plymell pitched the seventh and eighth innings and Brady Gavin the ninth for Central Missouri.

The Mules next play in the winner’s bracket on Monday at 5 p.m. against fifth-seeded Tampa, a 7-6 winner Saturday over Trevecca Nazarene in the opening day’s only other game.