Northwestern Ohio eliminated St. Thomas University’s baseball team from the Avista-NAIA World Series with a 13-9 victory at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho, ending the Bobcats’ season which included setting the school record for most wins in a season with 56.
It was the sixth time in school history the Bobcats advanced to the World Series.
STU entered the World Series as the No. 3 seed after winning the Sun Conference regular-season championship.
The No. 10 seed Northwestern Ohio and the Bobcats’ elimination game was a wild affair which featured several lead changes as the two teams combined for 22 runs on 32 hits.
Starting pitcher Chris Rodriguez pitched four innings, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out four and walking none. Reliever Tyler Morales, a former American High standout, came in to start the fifth inning. Morales then pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts to hold the lead for STU.
In the top of the seventh with one out and runners on second and third for UNOH, closer Erne Valdes entered the game for St. Thomas. The Racers were able to plate one run to cut the Bobcat lead to 8-6, but Valdes was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout to limit the damage.
In the top of the eighth, the Racers struck again scoring runs on an RBI-double and a wild pitch to tie the game 8-8. An error then brought the go-ahead run in for the Racers who took a 9-8 lead with one out. UNOH added three more runs in the inning for a seven-run frame to take a 13-8 lead.
Miguel Rodriguez pitched a scoreless frame in the top of the ninth. The Bobcats were able to score one run in the bottom of the ninth, before UNOH closed out the victory.