LEWISTON, Idaho – Bryan Haney’s errant throw to third allowed the winning run, which also reached on an error, to score, as No. 2 Lewis-Clark State overcame a four-run deficit in defeating 23rd-ranked Cumberland, 6-5, here Wednesday night in the 2014 Avista-NAIA World Series at Harris Field.

Despite the loss, the Bulldogs (48-20) will play for a national championship Friday night at 8:30 p.m. Central Time against the winner of Lewis-Clark State and Oklahoma Wesleyan, who play Thursday night. Because Cumberland is the only remaining team of the three that has not received a bye this far in the World Series, they advance to the title game, the fifth time in program history that CU will play in the national championship game.

Sam Lind was 5-for-5 in the game and his three-run homer in the fourth inning put the Bulldogs ahead, 5-1, but the Warriors (46-8) tied the contest with four runs in the sixth on four hits, two hit batters and two wild pitches. CU stranded five baserunners in the first three innings and nine overall in the loss, which snapped a nine-game winning streak at the World Series dating to the 2010 campaign.

Beau Kerns tossed 4.2 scoreless innings of relief for Lewis-Clark State after the Bulldogs took the lead, allowing his club to get back into the outing. LCSC starter J.T. Jaul allowed five unearned runs on five hits in four innings, while David Murillo (5-1) got the win, getting one out in the top of the ninth.

Kevin Hawk’s slow-roller was kicked by Lind and CU reliever Kevin P. Greene (9-2) walked Jake Shirley before a bunt in front of the plate by Cody Weiss. Haney fielded the ball barehanded but his throw to third was late and short-hopped Ricky Coleman. It rolled into leftfield, with pinch-runner Zach Holley easily scoring to send the home crowd of 3,870 into a frenzy and the Warriors into Thursday’s contest versus Oklahoma Wesleyan.

Greene gave up one run on no hits with one walk in one-plus inning of relief. CU starter Jake Collier tossed seven innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with two walks, four strikeouts and four hit batters, 50 percent of his season total heading into the game (8).

Cumberland got on the board in the first inning after Chris Hall was hit to start the game. Lind singled to center with one out and with two outs, Josciel Veras hit a shallow fly ball down the rightfield line. First baseman Ty Jackson had trouble with the ball and dropped it just in fair territory, allowing Hall to score on the play.

The Warriors knotted the score in the second when Cody Lavalli bounced a sharp grounder off the chest of Coleman at third and his throw was well wide of the bag, rolling well down the rightfield line in foul territory. Lavalli got all the way to third on the play and scored on a groundout by Kyle Knigge.

Lewis-Clark State made another miscue in the third that allowed the Bulldogs to re-take the lead, with Coleman reaching on a fielding error by shortstop Michael Sexton. Lind followed with a single to right and with two outs, Justin Byrd grounded a ball off the glove of a diving Jackson on the right side for an infield single, allowing Coleman to score on the play for a 2-1 edge.

Another error by the Warriors gave CU a chance to extend the lead in the fourth, with Haney reaching when centerfielder Ryan Sells nearly overran a deep line drive and then dropped the ball when it hit the heel of his glove. Pinch-runner Zach Cole went to second on a sacrifice bunt from Hall and Coleman was walked.

After a trip to the mound from LC head coach Jeremiah Robbins, Kaul hung a first-pitch curveball and Lind pounced all over it, drilling a line drive that just cleared the rightfield wall for his 16th home run of the season and a 5-1 CU advantage.

LCSC plated four runs on four hits in the sixth to tie the game again, starting with leadoff singles from Shirley and Weiss. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third and Sells singled sharply to left, scoring a run.

Lavalli dumped a single into short rightfield and it bounced passed Richie Seaton for a double, plating another run, and pinch-hitter Raymond Pedrina was hit, loading the bases. Another wild pitch scored a run and Jackson’s drive to the wall in dead centerfield pushed across the tying run. Collier hit another batter but got out of the inning with any more damage thanks to a strikeout and a flyout.

The Warriors loaded the bases again in the seventh on a single from Weiss, a hit batter (Sells, his second of the game) and a walk to Lavalli, but Knigge bounced into a 4-6-3 inning-ending doubleplay to keep the game tied at five.

In the ninth Lind collected his fifth hit of the contest, a double to rightcenter. Brady North struck out on a ball in the dirt and Lind tried the take third on the play but was called out sliding into the bag (what looked to be under the tag) on a heads-up play by Hawk, setting up the drama in the bottom of the inning.