LEWISTON, Idaho – Corey Bevis threw 6 1/3 shutout innings in relief and No. 7 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (46-18) eliminated No. 8 Belhaven (Miss.) (44-17) 8-4 in the ninth game of the 54th annual Avista-NAIA World Series this morning. The winner will play the loser of Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) and Lee (Tenn.) at either 3 p.m. or 7 PDT tomorrow. Belhaven finishes its season after losing now twice in the World Series.

Bevis, who gave up three runs in just 2/3 of an inning in his last appearance on Saturday against Cumberland (Tenn.), was outstanding in the elimination game. He recorded five strikeouts and allowed just a single in the fifth and a double in the eighth. In the 81-pitch effort, Bevis entered in the bottom of the third and got Derek Tortorich on a fly-out to end the inning. He stranded two runners in the process.

“I was throwing my fastballs and spotting them outside,” said Bevis, who improved to 7-2 on the season. “I got a couple inches outside so I’ll take that. I just felt that I can go as long as I am needed and do whatever I have to do.”

Belhaven wasted no time in the day’s early game plating two runs in the bottom of the first. Jimmy Gilford hit the Series’ second triple, with his knock driving in Drew Dillard from first base. Dillard led off the inning with a single. Lake Eiland drove in Dillard on a groundout and Belhaven led 2-0.

Embry-Riddle sent eight batters to the dish in the fourth inning and scored four times to take a 4-2 lead. The Eagles notched the first run without hitting the ball out of the infield. Leading off the frame, Keaton Stroud walked and after two bunts and a wild throw, his run trimmed to deficit at 2-1.

With two outs, it appeared like Belhaven starter Riley Galloway would escape without further damage but Branden Roper-Hubbert laced a single to center. That hit forced home two runs. The next batter, Austin Goolsby nearly smacked a home run, bouncing it high off the centerfield wall. He settled for a double and an RBI and Embry-Riddle led 4-2.

Belhaven tied the score up in the bottom of the third on a passed ball and a RBI-single by Brandon Benton. Both runs came with two outs.

The winning run for Embry-Riddle came in the fifth inning. Steve Sabins nailed a lead-off triple down the right-field line and came home on a ground-out off the bat of Roper-Hubbert. Two batters later, Aaron Glaum found the right-field grass, hitting his second home run of the season.

With the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Matt Tomaszewski drove in a run with a hit-by-pitch. At that point, Embry-Riddle led 7-4. The speed of Saul Meza gave the Eagles another run. He stole home and ERAU had a comfortable 8-4 lead.

That was plenty of a lead for Bevis as the right-hander sent down Belhaven in order in the bottom of the ninth.

Offensively, Sabins and Goolsby rapped two hits apiece. Roper-Hubbert hit the 50-RBI plateau on the season as he drove in three.

Eight different Blazers each had a hit.

Riley Galloway was hit with the loss, falling to 2-6 on the year. The senior from Madison, Miss., went four innings and allowed five runs, one earned, on six hits. He struck out five and walked one.

Of the eight runs allowed by four Belhaven pitchers, just two of them were earned. The Blazers defense had four errors on the day.

GAME NOTES: In their first World Series, Belhaven eliminated defending national champion Lubbock Christian on Saturday and ends its trip with a 1-2 record… Embry-Riddle improves to 15-17 all-time in World Series action… The Eagles have now won at least two games in five of their nine World Series appearances… Belhaven ends its season with a school-record 44 victories… With just one triple hit through the World Series’ first eight games this year, Steve Sabins (Embry-Riddle) and Jimmy Gilford (Belhaven) each hit one… Embry-Riddle totaled a 2010 World Series high with four stolen bases… With all four games on Saturday all getting completed under two-and-a-half hours, today’s first game went 2:42.

World Series Individual Leaders: (Through 8 games)

Batting Average
Chad Carman, Oklahoma City – 1.000 (3-for-3)

Hits
4 players tied with 3

Doubles
Tanner Moore, Lee (Tenn.) – 3

Triples
3 players tied with 1

Home Runs
8 players tied with 1

RBI
3 players tied with 3

Runs Scored
8 players tied with 2

Innings Pitched
Austin Quinn, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) – 11.0

Batters Struck Out
Aaron Wilkerson, Cumberland (Tenn.) – 13 (in 9.0 innings)