LEWISTON,
Idaho -
Michael
Crabtree went 3-for-4 with three RBIs
and a run scored as Houston Baptist
(Texas) got on the board early Saturday,
beating and eliminating Cumberland
(Tenn.) with a 5-2 win in the 2007
Avista-NAIA World Series at Harris Field
in Lewiston.
HBU
starter Matthew Headley (12-4) tossed a
complete game to get the win, allowing
two runs (one earned) on eight hits with
six strike outs.
Houston
Baptist (41-20) got an early pair in the
bottom of the first inning, starting
with leadoff hitter Ryan Majewski's
single into left that was followed by a
Chad Hebert single into center. With two
on, Greg Gossett, who went 4-for-5, put
down a bunt that was fielded by
Cumberland (48-20-1) pitcher Zach
Whitmer. Whitmer stared down the play at
third before deciding not to make the
throw on the lead runner, leaving the
bases loaded on a bunt single.
One
batter later, Crabtree brought Majewski
and Hebert across with a two-run double
to deep right field.
The
Huskies got two more in the third
inning, led-off by a right-center field
double from Gossett and a bobble by the
Cumberland centerfielder. Crabtree got
his third RBI of the game on the next
HBU at-bat, driving in Gossett with a
single down the right field line.
Crabtree moved to second on a walk and
third on a sacrifice bunt, and the
Huskies plated their second run of the
inning when second baseman Diego
Castillo ripped a single into left,
bringing Crabtree across to make the
score 4-0.
The
Bulldogs got two back in the top of the
fourth, beginning with an Eric Moll solo
home run to right that slimmed the lead
to three. Jeremy Wilson then reached on
a fielder's choice, but a wild throw on
the double-play attempt put the Bulldog
right fielder at second with one out.
Wilson would later score on an RBI
single by Bush, cutting the lead to 4-2.
In the
fifth, Houston Baptist added insurance
by its final run across, set up by
designated hitter Jay Prigmore's two-out
single into left field. Castillo lifted
a fly ball into center that looked to be
the end of the inning, but the ball fell
out of the fielder's glove, allowing
Prigmore to score from first, putting
the Huskies up 5-2.
Headley took
over for the final four innings,
allowing only five more Cumberland base
runners through the game's last 12 outs.
Majewski finished 3-for-5 at the plate
with a run scored, as HBU's first four
batters each scored once in the game in
addition to Prigmore's run in the fifth.
Whitmer
(8-5) took the loss for the Bulldogs,
going seven innings and surrendering
five runs on 13 HBU base hits. Whitmer
fanned seven in the game. Houston
Baptist moves into Monday's portion of
the elimination bracket, taking on the
loser of today's contest between Walsh
(Ohio) and Spring Arbor (Mich.).
Cumberland ends its season after
entering the World Series on Region XI
and South Central Super Regional playoff
titles.