LEWISTON, Idaho – Cumberland (Tenn.) popped four home runs in an 8-1 NAIA World Series victory over Oklahoma City University on Monday at Harris Field.
The sixth-ranked Stars (50-15) will face Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) in an elimination game 1 p.m. Central time Tuesday. Second-ranked Cumberland (55-9) moved to a 9 p.m. Tuesday contest.
Troy Frazier, Sam Kikla and Kris Miller each went deep for Cumberland. Miller pounded a pair of two-run shots as the senior right fielder finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs. The top two home run-hitting lineups in NAIA baseball combined for four dingers.
Cumberland starting pitcher Shawn Schaefer cooled off a hot Stars offense. OCU had averaged 13 runs a game during a seven-game win streak entering Monday's game. The Stars also led the NAIA in nine team offensive categories.
Schaefer, a senior left-hander, fanned 11 en route to a nine-inning complete-game effort. Schaefer (14-0) held OCU to five hits. OCU managed only Mark Purser's three hits through seven innings. Clint Maune dropped to 4-3 on the year for OCU.
Purser gave OCU its only run of the game by knocking a 2-0 pitch out of the ballpark past the left-field fence. Purser notched his 11th home run of the year and cut the Stars' deficit to 4-1.
For the game, Purser, a junior from Spokane, Wash., finished 3-for-4.
The Stars' Drew McAdoo and Brian Fisher added singles in the bottom of the eighth. OCU left runners on first and third base in the eighth as Cumberland ended the inning by getting a force play at second.
Kikla put Cumberland on the scoreboard with a homer in the first, then after Matt Greener singled, Miller brought Greener in with a two-run blast over the left-field fence.
In the fourth, Kikla had a sacrifice fly to right field to put Cumberland ahead 4-0. Cumberland built a 5-1 advantage with Greg Appleton's RBI triple in the sixth.
Miller made it 7-1 Cumberland with his second two-run homer of the game in the seventh. Frazier added a solo blast in the ninth.
OCU had not been held to one run in a game in 96 contests since Lubbock Christian (Texas) did it twice on March 20, 2009.
Boxscore
NAIA World Series
At Lewiston, Idaho
Harris Field
All Times Central
Friday, June 28
Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 3, Tennessee Wesleyan 2, 12 inn.
Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) 9, Belhaven (Miss.) 1
Lee (Tenn.) 7, Lubbock Christian (Texas) 6
Oklahoma City 8, California Baptist 0
Saturday's Results
Belhaven 3, Lubbock Christian 2, Lubbock Christian eliminated
California Baptist 10, Tennessee Wesleyan 3, Tennessee Wesleyan eliminated
Cumberland (Tenn.) 9, Embry-Riddle 1
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 10, Point Loma Nazarene 5
Monday's Results
Embry-Riddle 8, Belhaven 4, Belhaven eliminated
Point Loma Nazarene 7, California Baptist 6, California Baptist eliminated
Cumberland 8, Oklahoma City 1
Lee 8, Lewis-Clark State 0
Tuesday's Games
Game 14: Oklahoma City vs. Point Loma Nazarene, 1 p.m.
Game 13: Embry-Riddle vs. Lewis-Clark State, 5 p.m.
Game 15: Cumberland vs. Lee, 9 p.m.
Wednesday's Games
Game 16: 5 p.m.
Game 17: 9 p.m.
Thursday's Game
Game 18: Championship, 9:05 p.m.
Friday's Game
Game 19: If necessary, 9:05 p.m.
