May 31, 2006

LEWISTON, Idaho - Cumberland University of Lebanon, Tenn., moved closer to claiming its second national baseball title in three years after becoming the lone undefeated team at the 50^th annual Avista NAIA World Series.

The Bulldogs dumped the University of British Columbia 10-6 on Tuesday to move into the driver's seat in the 10-team double-elimination tournament being played at Lewis-Clark State College's Harris Field.

Only four teams remain alive after Tuesday's play. Earlier in the day, Lubbock Christian and Lewis-Clark State College won wild contests in the bottom of the ninth inning. Lubbock Christian needed 10 innings to eliminate Auburn University-Montgomery, while LCSC blew a 10-1 lead, but scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to claim an 11-10 triumph over Embry-Riddle University of Daytona Beach, Fla.

The pairings for Wednesday's action were changed so that teams that had already played wouldn't meet for a second time. That leaves No. 3 seed LCSC (45-8) tangling with No. 2 British Columbia (49-13) at 3 p.m., Pacific time, in loser-out play. No. 4 seed Cumberland (50-16) takes on No. 6 seed Lubbock Christian (49-16) at 7 p.m. A Cumberland win would put it in the championship game.

The Bulldogs have been impressive in the tournament, especially at the plate where they collected 12 hits against UBC. Alberto Cruz started the scoring with a two-run home run in the top of the first, his 20^th of the season and third of the tournament. Victor Alvarez, Steve Selph and Nolan McCue all had two hits.  Alvarez and Selph both went 2-for-4 and scored two runs. Alvarez also had two RBI.

The Thunderbirds used five pitchers in an attempt to slow the Cumberland bats, but by the time it happened, it was too late. UBC did rally and scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to cut the margin to 9-6, but couldn't muster a final push in the ninth.

UBC came into the game hitting better than .460 and averaging 18 runs after its first two games of the Series, but went 7-of-33 at the plate against Cumberland (.212).

Earlier Tuesday, Armando Dominguez's third hit of the game, a run-scoring double with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, lifted LCU. The Chaparrals trailed 6-5 entering the bottom of the ninth when leadoff batter Michael Harkins belted a solo home run, his second of the game.

Allen Balmer's bases-loaded single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning helped LCSC to victory in a battle of No. 1 teams. LCSC is the No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA poll, but because the Warriors are the host team in the 10-team double-elimination tournament they can't be seeded higher than third. That left Embry-Riddle as the No. 1 seed after being ranked No. 2 in the final poll.

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