Box Score FORT MYERS, Fla. - No. 4 seed St. Thomas (35-17) lost in a 12-11 thriller to top seed Keiser (38-17)  Sunday afternoon at The Sun Conference Championship Tournament at City of Palms Park.  With the loss, the Bobcats were eliminated in the six-team, double-elimination tournament.

Keiser came back from a 10-0 deficit and ultimately won the game on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.

Starting pitcher Rene Arauz was outstanding in a no-decision for the Bobcats.  Arauz allowed two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk over 6.1 innings.  The freshman shut out the Seahawks for the first six innings of the contest. 

STU built a 10-0 lead only to see it melt away in the late innings.

After three scoreless innings, second baseman Michael Centeno started the scoring with a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning.  The shot to left field on a 0-1 count marked the senior's team-best 17th home run of the season. 

The Centeno homer sparked a five-run frame for the Bobcats.  Randy Oliva drew a walk, then was pinch-run for by James Spatafora.  Following a walk by Oscar Rodriguez, Jose Brito hit an RBI-single to score Spatafora.  German Morales then drew a walk, bringing up Kendrick Gutierrez who singled to left field scoring Rodriguez and Brito on the play.

Leading 5-0, the Bobcats added two more runs in the sixth on a 2-RBI single by Gutierrez that again scored Rodriguez and Brito.

STU opened up a 10-0 lead with three more runs in the seventh inning as a double by Orlando Rivera ignited another scoring parade.  Oliva drew another walk followed by an RBI-single by David Palenzuela that scored Rivera from second base.  With Michael Sanchez pinch running for Palenzuela, Rodriguez reached base on a hit-by-pitch.  German Morales followed with a 2-RBI single scoring Sanchez and Rodriguez.

The Seahawks battled back from the 10-0 deficit, first by scoring seven runs in the bottom of the seventh.  The Bobcats added a run in the top of the eighth, but KU scored three runs in the bottom of inning to make it a 11-10 game heading into the ninth.  The Seahawks drew a walk setting up a walk-off, two-run home run by Jack Curtis for the win.

St. Thomas will now await its fate as a potential at-large bid for the NAIA National Championships Opening Round.  The pairings and brackets for the 45-team National Championship Opening Round, scheduled for May 15-18, will be announced on Thursday, May 11.