May 30, 2007

LEWISTON, Idaho - Brad Hinkle tossed his second complete game in a five-day stretch and Jeff Hollister drove in two runs without the benefit of a base hit to help Spring Arbor University eliminate Bellevue University 7-5 at the 51st annual Avista NAIA World Series at Lewis-Clark State College's Harris Field on Wednesday.

Hinkle, a 6-foot-10 senior right hander, put up almost identical numbers from his 8-5 win over Walsh University on Saturday. In both outings, Hinkle (15-0) allowed 12 hits and five runs, four of which were earned. He had better control on Wednesday with five strikeouts and one walk, compared to four walks and three strikeouts on Saturday. He also held Bellevue to two hits and no runs over the final four innings.

Hollister went 0-for-4 at the plate with a strike out, but hit two ground balls that were able to bring in runs.

The win means Spring Arbor (48-4) will play top-ranked and defending champion Lewis-Clark State at 7 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday night. Lewis-Clark State plays Houston Baptist later on Wednesday, but the result of that game will have no bearing on Thursday's matchup. If Houston Baptist should beat LCSC, HBU will receive a bye into Friday's championship game based on the fact it is the only one of the three teams left that hasn't had a bye. If LCSC wins on Wednesday, Spring Arbor will have to beat the Warriors twice to claim the title.

Spring Arbor is guaranteed no worse than a third place finish, which will be its best finish in four trips to the Series.

Bellevue (47-15) held the lead in Wednesday's game until the bottom of the fifth when Spring Arbor scored three runs for a 6-5 advantage.

Bellevue starter Nick Love (13-4) pitched five innings and allowed seven hits and six runs - five earned - to take the loss. He also struck out four and walked three. Reliever Severin Fries allowed a hit and a walk, but struck out two in his only inning of work, while Tyler Espland pitched the final two innings and gave up two hits and a run, and struck out one.

After Scott Raterman's RBI single in the top of the first put Bellevue ahead, Spring Arbor took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Eric Votjkofsky and an RBI ground out by Hollister.

Bellevue countered with two runs in the top of the second when Nick Rivera doubled and scored on a single by Mike Pratt. After Pratt stole second, he scored on a single by Shawn Lee.

Spring Arbor tied the game at 3-3 in the third on another ground ball by Hollister.

Bellevue picked up single runs in the fourth and fifth for a 5-3 lead. In the fourth an error led to Carlos Jackson's RBI double, while Blake Busson added an RBI double in the fifth.

Spring Arbor took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jesse Bachman started the rally with a double and scored on a single by Brad Baker. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, Baker scored on a double by Jeff Tebeau. A single by Jon Herbig scored Tebeau.

Spring Arbor's final run came in the eighth on an RBI single by Bachman, who finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Baker went 2-for-4 and also scored two runs. The first three hitters in the Spring Arbor lineup, Jon Schaible, Bachman, and Baker were a combined 6-for-12 with six runs scored and two RBI.

Jackson, Raterman, Rivera and Josh Northrup all had two hits apiece for Bellevue, which out-hit Spring Arbor 12-10 in the game.

This was Bellevue's 12th appearance in the Series, which is the second most behind 26 for LCSC. Bellevue won its only title in its first year in the Series in 1995, and has played in every Series since 1998.