STU advances to play in Avista NAIA World Series

For the second time in St. Thomas University baseball history and the first time since 2015, the Bobcats have advanced to play in the Avista NAIA World Series championship game defeating the University of Science and Arts (Oklahoma), 10-2, setting up a rematch with top ranked Tennessee Wesleyan this week for the national title.
The game is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4 at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho.
The Bulldogs defeated the Bobcats, 3-2, earlier in the tournament, putting STU in an elimination game.
The Bobcats, ranked No. 6, prevailed and reached the national title game.
In the Bobcats-Drovers game, STU pitcher Christoper Coipel (6-2) pitched the best game of his season lasting eight innings, striking out two and allowing two earned runs to earn his sixth win of the season. Coipel pitched through the eighth for the first time this season and into the eighth for the third time this season all against ranked teams (Keiser, Southeastern, USAO).
St. Thomas opened the scoring in the top of the third inning following a RBI single by second baseman Erick Delgado which scored Daniel Lowry.
Then, Sergio Lopez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the third inning, with a 1-1 count. Driving a pitch over the wall in left field for a grand slam, his seventeenth home run of the season to give STU a 5-0 lead. The grand slam was Lopez's third career NAIA World Series home run, first since opening night in 2018.
The Bobcats added an additional run in the top of the fourth inning as shortstop Alejandro Rivero brought in infielder Jackie Urbaez on a sacrifice fly.
In the top of the sixth inning, a nice double by Lopez, giving him his fifth RBI, gave STU a 9-0 lead over Science and Arts.
Coipel held the Drover offense recording 12 consecutive outs from the bottom of the first until the fifth when USAO reached on an error. Coipel worked around the error recording a ground ball out to end the inning.