LEWISTON, Idaho - Faulkner had a trip to the championship round of the 59th annual Avista-NAIA World Series firmly in its grasp here Wednesday night, but let it slip away. Leading 3-0 with one out and nobody on base in the top of the ninth inning, St. Thomas (Fla.) got off the deck to score three times to send the game to extra innings, then scored three more runs in the 10th to shock the Eagles 6-3 at Harris Field.

Reliever Brian Bass had been dominant since entering the game in the sixth, but after striking out the leadoff batter in the ninth everything came unraveled for Patrick McCarthy's Eagles. Three hits and a hit batsman resulted in a pair of runs to make it 3-2. Closer Alejandro Castro then entered, and with one out and runners on first and second, Faulkner had a pair of chances to end it. First, centerfielder Chris Madera caught a sinking line drive off the bat of Brandon Canizares for the second out and came within an eyelash of doubling off the lead baserunner, but the umpire ruled Madera's throw had pulled shortstop Edgar Figueroa's foot off the bag. Then, a ground ball to third baseman Dennis Morton kicked under his glove into left field, allowing David Quintero to score the tying run.

After Faulkner failed to score in the bottom of the ninth, St. Thomas scored three more unearned runs in the 10th to win it. The victory sends the Bobcats, who lost to Concordia (Calif.) 12-2 on the opening day of the tournament, into the championship game Friday night at Harris Field. They will play the winner of Thursday night's battle between Faulkner and host Lewis-Clark State for the World Series title. Both Thursday's and Friday's games are scheduled for 8:30 p.m. central time starts.

"We didn't make the plays to close the game out," said McCarthy, whose Eagles have now allowed 11 runs in the eighth and ninth innings alone in their last three games. "A champion is not measured by how he responds when things are going well. A champion is measured by how he reacts after getting hit in the mouth. We got hit in the mouth tonight and it hurts, but we have less than 24 hours to get over it."

Faulkner (51-14)  is expected to give the ball Thursday night to right-hander Jack Charleston (10-1), who tossed a complete game in the Eagles' tourney-opening 4-1 victory over Vanguard (Calif.). The matchup will be the fourth between the Eagles and the Warriors in the last three World Series, with Faulkner having won two of the previous three. Faulkner beat Lewis-Clark State 11-4 for the 2013 national championship, only to be eliminated from the event last year by the Warriors in a 6-0 loss. The Eagles won a slugfest Tuesday night against LCSC 12-10.

"We'll find out what we're made of Thursday night in what will be a crazy atmosphere," McCarthy said. "I believe in our team. I believe we'll play well and respond positively."

All things pointed to Faulkner remaining undefeated through eight innings Wednesday night, which would have eliminated St. Thomas and forced Lewis-Clark State to beat the Eagles twice to win the championship. The Bobcats (48-17) earned the bye to Friday's title game because both Faulkner and Lewis-Clark State received byes earlier in the tournament.

While Faulkner starting pitcher Victor Arche was squirming his way out of multiple jams in the early innings against the Bobcats, the Faulkner bats were relatively quiet until the fourth inning. With one out Randy Joung singled and Dennis Morton followed with a double to put runners at second and third. Edgar Figueroa's sacrifice fly gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead. 

In the fifth Faulkner added to its advantage, with Chris Madera singling, stealing second and scoring on Dario Polanco's base hit to make it 2-0. A bizarre play in the sixth increased the lead. Figueroa doubled down the left-field line, and the throw back to the infield got past the cutoff man and rolled all the way into foul territory in right field. Figueroa never stopped and sprinted home to push the margin to 3-0.

A golden opportunity not capitalized on in the seventh would ultimately cost the Eagles. Cody Sos' fly ball to centerfield was lost in the lights, allowing him to make it all the way to third to open the inning. The next three Faulkner batters struck out, however, leaving Sos stranded.

Bass relieved Arche in the sixth, and the only baserunner he allowed until the ninth reached on a seventh-inning error. A double-play grounder erased the threat, and the hard-throwing right-hander cruised into the decisive inning seemingly in complete command.

Kurt Lipscomb (6-3), who pitched the 10th inning, took the loss for Faulkner. Chris Rodriguez (4-0) got the win, pitching a pair of scoreless innings for the Bobcats. Madera had three of Faulkner's eight hits, while Eric Santamaria's three hits paced the 10-hit St. Thomas attack.