OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University secured a spot in the NAIA World Series by defeating Texas Wesleyan 6-5 in the title game of the NAIA Championship Opening-Round Field 2 Tournament on Thursday at Jim Wade Stadium.

Second-ranked OCU (51-7) will make its 12th World Series appearance May 22-29 in Lewiston, Idaho. Jason Machado skied a three-run home run to left field to rally the Stars.

OCU overcame a 5-2 deficit through five innings. The Stars plated four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Brent Weaver doubled to lead off the inning, then B.J. Wheeler put runners at first and third base with a single.

Landon Camp drove in a run by driving a 3-2 pitch along the left-field foul line. Machado, a senior from Frisco, Texas, followed by lofting an 0-1 fastball high then just over the left-field fence.

“The bat felt heavy on that one,” Machado said. “I felt I would hit it hard. I hit the catcher's glove on the swing. It was a two-seam fastball that started outside and broke inside.”

OCU took a 2-0 lead in the first. Wheeler hit into a groundout to score Sammy Lee, and Steve Vitale reached home plate on a wild pitch.

Texas Wesleyan scored the next five runs. Texas Wesleyan scored three runs in the fourth off a hit batsmen, wild pitch and an RBI grounder.

Camp and Wheeler each went 1-for-4, scored a run and drive in a run. Machado was 1-for-3 with three RBIs.

“We needed a spark,” OCU coach Denney Crabaugh said. “You can never tell what would happen. When you look at our lineup, anybody can step up. Anybody can start a rally. We don't have any easy outs. To go far into the tournament, we have to have everyone contributing.”
Michael Bryant earned the victory, moving to 6-1. Bryant, a senior right-hander from Sperry, Okla., held Texas Wesleyan scoreless over 4.1 innings, allowing three hits. Zac Coplon got the final two outs to earn his second save.

“Mike did what Dustin Williams did the other day,” Crabaugh said. “They had all the momentum, and he gave us a chance to get back into the game. You have to have someone who can come out of the pen with shutdown stuff.”