St. Thomas 5, Oklahoma Baptist 4 at Avista-NAIA World Series

LEWISTON, Idaho – Ninth seeded St. Thomas (47-17) eliminated top seeded Oklahoma Baptist (53-8) 5-4 on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Michael Centeno as the Bobcats advanced at the Avista-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.   STU guarantees its spot as one of the final four teams alive at the NAIA World Series and will play again on Wednesday against an opponent still to be determined. 
 
St. Thomas has won three of its four games at the NAIA World Series, marking the most wins at the World Series in school history.  After losing their first game, the Bobcats have reeled off three straight wins in elimination games.
 
With the score tied 4-4, third baseman Brandon Canizares led off the bottom of the ninth with a double.  With Centeno at the plate, Canizares moved to third on an error on a pickoff play to second.  Centeno then hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Canizares to give the Bobcats the walk-off victory.
 
St. Thomas led the game 4-1 entering the ninth inning, but Oklahoma Baptist scored three runs in the top of the ninth to knot the score at four runs apiece.
 
STU scored in the first inning as Nico Hernandez reached base on an error, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then advanced to third on a ground out.  A ground-out RBI by Paul Chacin then scored Hernandez to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead.
 
STU added two more runs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Jerry Downs that scored Cesar Ramirez and a single by Eric Santamaria that scored Chacin.  Centeno hit a solo home run in the fifth to make the score 4-0. 
 
OBU scored a run in the top of the sixth, but was held scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings by Barrios.
 
STU's closer Chris Rodriguez (4-0) earned the win after entering the ninth inning in relief of starter Marcos Barrios with no outs and runners on first and third.  He allowed one unearned run on one hit.  It marked the second win in as many days for Rodriguez. 
 
Barrios pitched eight innings allowing three runs with two of the three runs allowed inherited by Rodriguez in the ninth.  Entering the ninth, he had allowed just one run on five hits through eight innings.
 
St. Thomas now awaits the Embry-Riddle vs. Vanguard and Lewis-Clark State-Faulkner games to be played out.  Following those games, the pairing and times will be adjusted to match teams in the loser's bracket who have not faced each other.  Live video broadcast and stats are available at http://portal.stretchinternet.com/naia/.  A radio broadcast with live streaming is also available at http://www.koze-sports.com/.