Box Score LEWISTON, Idaho - Third seed St. Thomas (56-9) fell to no. 10 seed Northwestern Ohio 13-9 in an elimination game played late Saturday night at Harris Field on Day 2 of the Avista-NAIA World Series.

With the loss, the 2018 season ends for St. Thomas.  The 2018 Bobcats set the school record for wins in a season (56), won The Sun Conference regular-season Championship, and advanced to the NAIA World Series for the sixth time in school history.

Saturday's elimination game featured several lead changes as the two teams combined for 22 runs on 32 hits in a wild affair.

The Bobcats began afternoon with a leadoff walk by Jackie Urbaez followed by a 1-out single by Erick Delgado.  Nelson Mompierre the drilled a double to right-center field to score Urbaez giving STU a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

In the bottom of the second, St. Thomas added to its lead with three more runs.  With one out, Nick Izquierdo singled, followed by a double by Randy Oliva.  Urbaez then hit an RBI-single to score Izquierdo followed by another RBI single by Elih Marrero that scored Oliva. With four consecutive hits by the Bobcats, the Racers made an early pitching change.  With the bases loaded and Chris Garabedian at the plate, pinch runner Chris Allende scored on a wild pitch to make the score 4-0.

UNOH scored a run in the top of the third to cut the lead to 4-1.  The Racers then added four runs in the top of the fourth to storm into the lead with two RBI-singles and a two-run home run.

The Bobcats then answered in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead.  Randy Oliva led off the frame with a double, his second of the game.  Oliva then came home to score on an RBI ground out by Delgado.  Urbaez, who reached base on a walk, then came home on an error by UNOH to make the score 6-5 in favor of St. Thomas.

Starting pitcher Chris Rodriguez pitched four innings, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out four and walking none.  Reliever Tyler Morales came in to start the fifth inning.  Morales then pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts to hold the lead for STU.

In the top of the seventh with one out and runners on second and third for UNOH, closer Erne Valdes entered the game for St. Thomas.  The Racers were able to plate one run to cut the Bobcat lead to 8-6, but Valdes was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout to limit the damage.

In the top of the eighth, the Racers struck again scoring runs on an RBI-double and a wild pitch to tie the game 8-8.  An error then brought the go-ahead run in for the Racers who took a 9-8 lead with one out.  UNOH added three more runs in the inning for a seven-run frame to take a 13-8 lead.

Miguel Rodriguez pitched a scoreless frame in the top of the ninth.  The Bobcats were able to score one run in the bottom of the ninth, before UNOH closed out the victory.

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