LEWISTON, Idaho - With it's back against the wall here early Sunday morning against upstart Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) in the Avista-NAIA World Series, third-ranked Faulkner provided its head coach with a memory he'll cherish a lifetime.

The Eagles trailed most of the night and the Blue Raiders tacked on an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning for a 4-2 advantage. Patrick McCarthy's troops, as they have all season, got off the deck. A stagnant offense suddenly came to life in the bottom of the eighth, with Mario Amaral's RBI base hit and Deivy Palmeiro's two-run single highlighting the comeback that led to a 5-4 victory over the Blue Raiders at historic Harris Field.

The dramatic finish provided the Eagles' leader with his 500th win as a head coach. The humble McCarthy, in his seventh year at Faulkner after spending five seasons as the head coach at Freed-Hardeman, was more excited about what his team had accomplished - capturing its 50th victory of the season and earning a Monday night date with World Series host and defending national champion Lewis-Clark State.

"The guys were excited about winning the 500th here at the World Series, and I really appreciated the love they showed me after the game," said McCarthy, whose Eagles improved to 50-13. "To be honest, there are so many people over the years who have played a part in helping us be successful. Down the road, when I get a chance to reflect on the past 12 years, I'm sure it will hit me, but tonight it's all about these players who battled and never gave up in a classic baseball game. This was their night, and I'm so proud of them."

The game was dominated by a pair of sparkling performances from both starting pitchers. Faulkner's Christian Torres and Lindsey Wilson's Aaron Doughty were magnificent, both lasting deep into the matchup after bumpy third innings. Torres retired the first seven batters he faced, four by way of strikeout, before surrendering four base hits that resulted in three Blue Raider runs. The Eagles answered back in the home half of the frame, with Dario Polanco's RBI base hit and a Lindsey Wilson infield error trimming the deficit to 3-2.

Torres and Doughty both regained control from there. Torres allowed just two more hits and Doughty three until the decisive eighth inning. With two outs in the top half, Lindsey Wilson's Edgar Lebron singled and stole second base. Aaron Ashton followed with another single to that scored Lebron, pushing the lead to 4-2. McCarthy turned to Ivan Pelaez, who recorded the final out to limit the damage.

Alexis Cruz opened the Eagles' eighth with a sharp single to center. After a first-pitch ball to David Palenzuela, Doughty was pulled in favor of side-winder Daniel Ferrell, who missed on three of his first four pitches to put runners at first and second. T.J. Condon grounded into a fielder's choice, with Palenzuela cut down at second for the inning's first out. Amaral followed with a single to right-center, scoring Cruz. Condon made it to third just ahead of the throw from the outfield, and Amaral's heads-up baserunning allowed him to move to second. Palmeiro then provided the eventual game-winner, scorching a Ferrell offering down the right-field line to give Faulkner a lead it would not relinquish. 

Pelaez got the first out of the ninth before allowing a single to Brandon Munoz. Austin Moreland then got the ball from McCarthy, and the junior right-hander struck out Ryan Harper and coaxed Victor Nazario into a groundout to Faulkner third baseman Dennis Morton to end it. Pelaez (6-2) earned the win, while Ferrell (7-4) took the loss. Torres struck out 10 and walked only one in his 7 2/3 innings of work, with Doughty fanning seven Eagles in his seven-inning outing.

Polanco had three hits to pace Faulkner's 10-hit attack, while Cruz and Nick Cain each had two. Lebron was the only Blue Raider with multiple hits, finishing with a pair. The Faulkner win avenged a pair of losses to Lindsey Wilson in February. Ironically, all three Eagle-Blue Raider games ended with the same 5-4 score.

Faulkner's battle with Lewis-Clark State marks the fourth straight year the two teams have met in the World Series. The Eagles and Warriors have split four games the past three years. The first meeting of the two teams in the 2016 event is scheduled for a 8:30 central time start. Lindsey Wilson (43-24) faces Auburn Montgomery in an elimination game Monday afternoon at 2 central time. The Warhawks, after dropping their World Series opener to Bellevue (Neb.) Friday, stayed alive with an 11-9 14-inning victory over Point (Ga.) Saturday morning.

Eight of the 10 teams remain in the double-elimination tournament. Sterling (Kan.) and The Master's (Calif.) also battle for survival Monday in a loser's bracket game, while Tennessee Wesleyan and Bellevue (Neb.) square off in the other winner's bracket contest.