LEWISTON, Idaho – Kirk Walker hammered a three-run home run to provide Oklahoma City University an 8-4, 10-inning win over Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.), keeping the Stars alive in the NAIA World Series on Tuesday at Harris Field.
The second-ranked Stars (53-8) face Lubbock Christian (Texas) on Wednesday in the NAIA World Series semifinals at 5 p.m. Oklahoma time. Southern Polytechnic ended its season 53-10.
Walker, a sophomore from Bakersfield, Calif., nailed a 2-0 fastball over the right-center field wall with one out in the top of the 10th. Landon Camp and David Mann were on base.
Brandon Moss led off the 10th with a double, but Moss got forced out on Camp's bunt attempt. Mann followed with a base hit to set up Walker's three-run blast.
Jason Machado added a single to center to score Brian Fisher, running for Chad Carman, for the final margin. Carman had a base hit ahead of Machado.
Dustin Williams picked up the win by pitching the final two innings. Williams, a junior right-hander from Norman, Okla., worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th. Williams (5-1) fanned Mason Heller looking to finish off Southern Poly.
Sammy Lee, an OCU senior from Ninnekah, Okla., left the game in the bottom of the seventh after he and Machado collided in right-center on a fly ball that Lee caught. An ambulance took away Lee, who was said to have suffered a fractured leg.
The Stars tallied 15 hits. Walker went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Moss, a senior from Norman, Okla., was 4-for-6 with two RBIs. Machado, a senior from Frisco, Texas, finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs.
OCU took a 2-0 first-inning lead. Machado brought in the Stars' first run on a single up the middle. Moss followed with another RBI single to center field.
The Stars went up 3-0 on Moss' third-inning double along the right-field foul line. Southern Poly answered in the bottom of the inning on Daniel Hester's two-run home run.
Steve Vitale swatted a base hit to right to score Walker from second base and put OCU up 4-2 in the fourth.
Southern Poly scored the game's next two runs. Corey Jones had an RBI groundout in the sixth, and Josh Grooms had an RBI base hit in the seventh to tie the game.
Boxscore
NAIA World Series
At Lewiston, Idaho
Harris Field
All Times Central
Friday, May 22
Lee (Tenn.) 5, Campbellsville (Ky.) 2
Berry (Ga.) 10, Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.) 5
Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) 10, Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 0, 8 inn.
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 5, Fresno Pacific (Calif.) 0
Saturday, May 23
Southern Polytechnic State 6, Campbellsville 5, Campbellsville eliminated
Fresno Pacific 8, Embry-Riddle 6, Embry-Riddle eliminated
Lubbock Christian (Texas) 11, Lee 0
Oklahoma City 10, Lewis-Clark State 8
Monday's Results
Lee 5, Fresno Pacific 4, Fresno Pacific eliminated
Southern Polytechnic State 9, Lewis-Clark State 6, Lewis-Clark State eliminated
Lubbock Christian 11, Berry 5
Point Loma Nazarene 8, Oklahoma City 3
Tuesday's Results
Lee 5, Berry 3, Berry eliminated
Oklahoma City 8, Southern Polytechnic State 4, 10 inn., Southern Polytechnic eliminated
Point Loma Nazarene 2, Lubbock Christian 1
Wednesday's Games
Lubbock Christian vs. Oklahoma City, 5 p.m.
Lee vs. Point Loma Nazarene, 9 p.m.
Thursday's Game
Championship, 9 p.m.
Friday's Game
If necessary, TBA
