LEWISTON, Idaho – Blake Busson went 4-for-5 with three runs scored while Carlos Jackson drove in four runs while drawing four walks in a 2-for-3 day at the plate, as Bellevue (Neb.) jumped out to a quick lead and held off Cumberland (Tenn.) through the final seven innings in a 12-10 Bruin win in the first round of the 2007 Avista-NAIA World Series at Harris Field. 

Bellevue opened the game with two in the first as Zach Weisenaar roped a one-out double to left, followed by a two-out error on a ground ball that scored Weisenaar and moved the batter, Josh Northrup, to second base. Norththrup would later score when Dion Parks singled to left-center. 

The Bruins added three more in the second to go up 5-0, loading the bases with a pair of hits and a hit batsman. Jackson drew a bases-loaded walk to put the Bruins up 3-0, and an infield single from Weisenaar gave the Bruins their fourth run of the game with no outs in the inning. A sacrifice fly from Northrup plated Busson for Bellevue’s fifth run of the game. 

Cumberland shot back with two in the third, scoring first on a solo shot from Luis Martinez and again on an RBI double from Clint Alexander that scored Jeremy Wilson, who had walked earlier in the inning. An inning later, the Bulldogs cut the lead to one on a two-RBI single form Austin Morgan that pushed Alexander and Morgan across. 

Bellevue cut the rally short in its half of the fifth with three runs, including a two-run homer from Jackson and an RBI double from Busson to put the Bruins up 8-4. Cumberland cut the lead back to 8-6 in the bottom of the fifth, as Alexander singled and Jason Bush doubled before Morgan plated both runners with an RBI single to right.  

Both teams got a single run in the sixth inning and after a scoreless seventh, Bellevue grabbed three more runs in the top of the eighth, as Weisenaar pushed two runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Scott Raterman moved one across with an RBI infield single, followed by a two-RBI double from Parks to extend the lead to 12-7. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Wilson and Eric Mull reached to open the inning, and after Chuck Belote came on to pinch run for Mull, Alexander doubled to right center to score one, followed by an RBI ground-out from Bush to cut the Bellevue lead to 12-9. The Bulldogs would get one more in the ninth, as Courtney Propst scored on a Martinez single, but with three on and the Bulldogs down two, Bellevue hurler Jon Ganzen got Wilson to pop up on the infield, ending the Cumberland threat and the game. 

Bellevue starting pitcher Nick Love got the win to improve his record to 12-3 on the year, pitching five innings with six strike outs and seven runs on 11 hits. Bellevue used five pitchers in the game, as Ganzen picked up the save, his third of the season.  

Cumberland starter Robert Clayton took the loss for the Bulldogs, lasting only one inning and giving up five runs on five hits. Anthony Fomasi threw 4.1 innings for Cumberland, striking out four in relief. 

Bellevue earned two days rest and a 3 p.m. first pitch Monday with the win, while Cumberland must come back Saturday at 8:30 a.m. to take on Houston Baptist (Texas) in an elimination game.