LEWISTON, Idaho - Faulkner (54-11) trailed host school and undefeated Lewis-Clark State (39-14) by three runs after five innings of play here in the championship round of the Avista-NAIA World Series at Harris Field this evening, but a methodical rally that included a two-run ninth-inning effort and culminated with a walk-off error gave the Eagles the 6-5 victory forcing a winner-take-all showdown tomorrow evening at 8:30 CST.

John Price crushed a homer to center field giving Faulkner 1-0 in the first inning, but the Warriors tied the contest in the fourth on a Micah Brown sacrifice fly.

Paolo Montezuma countered with a rocket double down the third base line scoring a run in the bottom of the same frame regaining the one-run advantage for the Eagles.

LCSC loaded the bases with no outs in the ensuing at-bat, however, and Gunnar Bruhner punctuated the four-run fifth inning with a three-RBI double that dropped just inches inside the third base line in deep left field.

T.J. Condon opened the sixth with a double and scored moments later on a Reid Long single before Tra'mayne Holmes destroyed an eighth-inning pitch sending it high over the wall at left-center field making it a one-run ball game.

Then came the electric ninth inning.

Ryan Rosa tied the contest with a hard RBI double to left-center scoring Wes Roberson form second base and a followup single from pinch hitter Michael Darr moved the go-ahead run to third.

L.D. Coney made the final contact of the evening with a short chopper to the infield, but a wild toss home in an effort to trap Rosa in a rundown on the fielder's choice ultimately paved the way for the game-winning run.

"I'm glad that Olivier Basabe had play discipline and drew the walk and [pinch runner] Wes Roberson advanced to second [on the wild pitch]," Rosa said after the win. "When I got to the plate I was just looking for something to drive and I got the barrel on a curve ball and was able to get the run in."

When asked about tomorrow's matchup Rosa said that both teams have tremendous hitters through the entire lineup and that he believes "it'll be a hard-fought battle just like today and that it will likely come down to the ninth inning."

Israel Fuentes, who also gained the victory over Missouri Baptist in Faulkner's second bout of the World Series, earned the start this evening and was stellar through seven innings and even kept his cool in the Warrior's explosive fifth frame. 

The sophomore right-hander allowed five earned runs, but surrendered just five hits while fanning six batters and walking three.

The win went to closer Austin Moreland (3-0) who was lights-out over the final two innings. The senior right-hander gave up no hits and struck out two batters while walking one.

Condon was 2-for-3 with two runs on the night and Long was 2-for-4 and drove in a run.

"Stay humble," head coach Patrick McCarthy told his players after the game. "Keep your grit. Keep your grind. But stay humble. We've been telling you for months that 'those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who are humble will be exalted'," he added quoting Luke 14:11.

"Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow?," he said. "But remember, you're the last team standing. You're the last team that made it here. And that's all that matters to me. Don't get me wrong, I want to win, but right now, this is the most important thing to me and I want it to be the thing you take into tomorrow."